tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57090255884949130432024-02-19T07:46:13.456-08:00Letters and FettersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-48704998509831492832018-07-24T11:23:00.003-07:002018-07-24T11:23:44.682-07:00Voice Camp ConcertLaurie had her last voice camp this week.<br />
Here was her concert:<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/fJa5FVC7Zrw" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #167ac6; cursor: pointer; font-family: "YouTube Noto", Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/fJa5FVC7Zrw</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-24012986790257335972016-10-18T07:00:00.002-07:002016-10-18T10:21:52.676-07:00What if kids did opposition research on parents? It's election season, or rather campaign season, so I found this column I wrote that seems appropriate for today. It was published in the American News in 2008:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">What if your kids did opposition research on you?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> My son was a
Ron Paul fan until he came upon a candidate even more obscure: Hugh Cort, whose
ad features a hokey video clip of the Capitol building exploding under a
mushroom cloud. It could happen, Cort says, if Osama Bin Laden gets his way.
Only if you vote for Cort, I guess, can you relax.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> My son found
another candidate even more obscure than Cort:
Jon “the impaler” Sharkey, a presidential candidate for the Vampyres
[cq], Witches and Pagans party. Besides wanting to impale terrorists, drug
dealers and rapists, Sharkey’s main platform seems to be to take down God, so
he’s got his work cut out for him. My son, thankfully, is sticking with Cort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> I’m not sure
what Ron Paul could do to regain my son, but coming up with a better slogan
than <i>Who is Ron Paul?</i> would improve his chances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> All the candidates have – as my daughter likes
to say -- “issues.” By issues, she isn’t
talking about social security.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> If you listen
to negative campaign commercials, you might just throw up your hands in
despair. But are most candidates as nasty as attack ads portray them?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Opposition
research would make anyone look bad. What if researchers dug up your most
disgraceful moments? Or if all your driver’s license photos were plastered
across the Internet? Or if conflicting statements you made were pasted together
in a ridiculous montage?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> If my kids
did opposition research on me, they’d have a blast. I can see the resulting
commercials now:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Snitty,
complaining voice:</b> Mom insists she demonstrates the responsibility it takes
to run the household. But remember when she carelessly turned THE WRONG WAY
down Main Street? Or when she “forgot” that pot on the stove and flames shot
up? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Responsibility? You decide!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Deep,
serious voice:</b> Mom. She says she cares about us, that she only wants what’s
best for us. Sadly, Mom is overly influenced by powerful special interests like
the Department of Health and Human Services and its insidious <i>Dietary
Guidelines for Americans</i>. This influence explains questionable actions like
serving chopped spinach at the dinner table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Peeved
feminine voice:</b> And what about her insistence on bedtime? Forcing us to
take out garbage? Making us wipe our feet? It’s time for CHANGE! You CAN make a
difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Or<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Well
modulated, concerned voice:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Our
candidate has what it takes to run the household. Leadership, commitment,
courage. Mom’s record, however, shows serious weaknesses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Soft, but
solemn voice:</b> FACT– Mom got a C minus in 6<sup>th</sup>-grade math. She’ll
be useless with homework, a crucial, parental duty. FACT – Mom can’t read bass
clef. When it comes to helping with piano lessons, she’s far below par. FACT –
Mom can’t cut straight with scissors. Frankly, anyone without this
indispensable skill should never seek the office of Mom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Concerned
voice:</b> In the race ahead, it’s important to choose a proven leader. Mom’s
record just doesn’t cut it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Still, I
could counter those attack ads admirably with cozy platitudes. I’ve seen how
it’s done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> (Camera pans
over a rustic, peaceful scene. Soft music plays.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Mom:</b> I
love my home. I have an optimistic vision. I’ll bring to the table a toughness
to take on the problems. I’ll cut the other kids’ pork projects, but support
yours. I’ll step on toes if I have to, but I’ll never sacrifice my principles.
I pledge this day to fix all the problems, to rebuild the world and to prevent
bad things from happening in the future. I’ll work hard (slightly breaking
voice) to fight for YOU. (Wild applause and a crescendo as scene fades out.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-90844003051155897392016-10-06T18:52:00.002-07:002016-10-06T19:19:05.519-07:00Preserving Summer ColorIt is supposed to freeze tonight, and that means I had only today to gather all the remaining crops from the garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqstQKOLovYxk0l_xJucp14hRpXQgRzCvdCpfPGr7_qc_D7dtlj1j4ZtjZO_NQV8Co-_S4U4Kq-eFpW6OZc9F5Ixi-JP8g9bAE6e7lIQTUcWox5TqCWF7NJtE0-17Y4JJOIZeXdwoWZE/s1600/IMG_6860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqstQKOLovYxk0l_xJucp14hRpXQgRzCvdCpfPGr7_qc_D7dtlj1j4ZtjZO_NQV8Co-_S4U4Kq-eFpW6OZc9F5Ixi-JP8g9bAE6e7lIQTUcWox5TqCWF7NJtE0-17Y4JJOIZeXdwoWZE/s200/IMG_6860.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
But as I was doing that, I saw that all my lovely summer flowers were going to be lost. The golds and pinks, the violets and reds would all fall and fade -- then be buried in white in just a short time.<br />
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I hate seeing color vanish.<br />
<br />
So, I decided I'd save summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJ4O1hbd1wt1A1yBL4hge2iFPWUdSYRO4HpOfT6qDXzX3BgUjgKLkH63v8-8v0vO6Zc2LPNKZ1TwH-41Zj6aulMk5ABfpcEgINtPrnti25XxoUKqnWDjRuO9d1DY9q2brw8Icyh7uPik/s1600/IMG_6861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJ4O1hbd1wt1A1yBL4hge2iFPWUdSYRO4HpOfT6qDXzX3BgUjgKLkH63v8-8v0vO6Zc2LPNKZ1TwH-41Zj6aulMk5ABfpcEgINtPrnti25XxoUKqnWDjRuO9d1DY9q2brw8Icyh7uPik/s320/IMG_6861.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
First, I picked the remaining flowers and some leaves as well. I piled the ones I wanted onto the table.<br />
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Then, I placed a linen dishtowel on the table and brought out the iron and waxed paper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApghHM4Ac7lidrKn9tzCCHejbCCzRAHFenVcAop7N8Ln9vQqYwhuYf5XOlqCHZDyaenkKsY3BcLeuz4byw9GHl2RwB24b6zDh_tlU-i38u1uJjm9OnRPm4e5dI9Ra5GtY12-8ePt9xSE/s1600/IMG_6870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApghHM4Ac7lidrKn9tzCCHejbCCzRAHFenVcAop7N8Ln9vQqYwhuYf5XOlqCHZDyaenkKsY3BcLeuz4byw9GHl2RwB24b6zDh_tlU-i38u1uJjm9OnRPm4e5dI9Ra5GtY12-8ePt9xSE/s320/IMG_6870.JPG" width="320" /></a>I sprinkled petals, leaves, buds and crayon shavings onto the waxed paper, covered it with another sheet of waxed paper and another linen dish towel.<br />
<br />
I set the iron on a medium low setting and pressed.<br />
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<br />
It took about five minutes of carefully moving up and down, then around and around, until the sheet was flat.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApPCdPbrX4cbpPFo1rhOMJ6C3D0z0HwjE3nmOgunJjdQ_hlOz_7tRFlQYFLs3HBUHCijagoEHS3FMSktkoTZw67dIAQ-oc-X0u-TEo7SMfSaIParTuYKqz-JsbmcJLQ5MXl5kD2sAXeY/s1600/IMG_6872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApPCdPbrX4cbpPFo1rhOMJ6C3D0z0HwjE3nmOgunJjdQ_hlOz_7tRFlQYFLs3HBUHCijagoEHS3FMSktkoTZw67dIAQ-oc-X0u-TEo7SMfSaIParTuYKqz-JsbmcJLQ5MXl5kD2sAXeY/s200/IMG_6872.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPua8hKREDYG7IwEPL4mtU_k16_TMWWmOhKuEPgEsmQM_PgyNzW_UD8EXsMjb0FRIUD-a4zPKUcwcDxe3WoGjc2HegZmHA5FdgDIgoKYSlx2HtD37RUc6ylEmjyMk6aSWJnVeEhjMJHYM/s1600/IMG_6877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPua8hKREDYG7IwEPL4mtU_k16_TMWWmOhKuEPgEsmQM_PgyNzW_UD8EXsMjb0FRIUD-a4zPKUcwcDxe3WoGjc2HegZmHA5FdgDIgoKYSlx2HtD37RUc6ylEmjyMk6aSWJnVeEhjMJHYM/s200/IMG_6877.JPG" width="200" /></a>After this, I cut off a few strips and cut again to make card-sized sheets.<br />
<br />
<br />
I made three large sheets which will become probably 40 or so card-size panels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qwKLCFtK_4HkkcPcHOOB6FdhyAmCYMgEVABkOxM4ZvRkbUMXMYXciMzq2w6QS0uoMnhVw9QWTq-8u4lt_JaxYunKVfrfAJN7a51qsqh4IyaqoVg3oSePwHg08cDgLknB-SoYtcnZQMs/s1600/IMG_6879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qwKLCFtK_4HkkcPcHOOB6FdhyAmCYMgEVABkOxM4ZvRkbUMXMYXciMzq2w6QS0uoMnhVw9QWTq-8u4lt_JaxYunKVfrfAJN7a51qsqh4IyaqoVg3oSePwHg08cDgLknB-SoYtcnZQMs/s320/IMG_6879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
They can be very versatile.<br />
<br />
The first thing I wanted to do was make a window card, but they can also be embossed or cut with dies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPn996NCi3k9O7xTEIsaYAjXhR-ivcOHWX4loYmFMWyXWarIk-_WJPrhYJvI7elwEkfRMrF1jcbzc5-cS45_KOR1Ktaj-B7W7TlcYe4SbRGI4RgzBfzLV6ivLRUg1MNZbgwqiG0JcvsE/s1600/IMG_6881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPn996NCi3k9O7xTEIsaYAjXhR-ivcOHWX4loYmFMWyXWarIk-_WJPrhYJvI7elwEkfRMrF1jcbzc5-cS45_KOR1Ktaj-B7W7TlcYe4SbRGI4RgzBfzLV6ivLRUg1MNZbgwqiG0JcvsE/s320/IMG_6881.JPG" width="320" /></a>Here is a finished project.<br />
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I am new to clear stamps and did not do a very good job with the sentiment, but you get the idea. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B6Opt7O7xp8SIxusLUjvyccm387hRk-Dr3Ufe9zTWofw5yg5FapQ0Snntzabbm7sYr2XnyLqvLkcrazIHvKtJOrspORTwtQ-9Gc0Y1CNOoGX0-7G5dblq5YR0DZHSF4hxpRWeL_RC7M/s1600/IMG_6880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B6Opt7O7xp8SIxusLUjvyccm387hRk-Dr3Ufe9zTWofw5yg5FapQ0Snntzabbm7sYr2XnyLqvLkcrazIHvKtJOrspORTwtQ-9Gc0Y1CNOoGX0-7G5dblq5YR0DZHSF4hxpRWeL_RC7M/s200/IMG_6880.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-35598177361726235362016-10-06T18:33:00.001-07:002016-10-06T18:36:35.592-07:00The Craft RoomArt kindly put up shelves in Laurie's old bedroom, so I could have a craft room of my own. Whenever I see pictures of other people's craft rooms, they are very impressive, but they are not usually all that artistic looking.<br />
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I wanted something both utilitarian and lovely to look at.<br />
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After a little work, it became just what I always wanted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM774jwiAjiJpb_qNGUDE7urSRqocEmmFeFh1UzP05Wh19WSfPj7ODgZ-KMLcsQooS0XvYc5sXqBwtrkcaTdRr44bDF-24lrErLSWnCfUOgk4-C4C9HH-SSoeuFqvhdKGO-RsP6Hmbjs/s1600/betterlabels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM774jwiAjiJpb_qNGUDE7urSRqocEmmFeFh1UzP05Wh19WSfPj7ODgZ-KMLcsQooS0XvYc5sXqBwtrkcaTdRr44bDF-24lrErLSWnCfUOgk4-C4C9HH-SSoeuFqvhdKGO-RsP6Hmbjs/s320/betterlabels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-56928292787668694262016-10-06T18:22:00.004-07:002016-10-06T18:22:51.432-07:00Long time no postI noticed that it's been more than a year since I last updated this blog. The photo of the Storybook Land train has Michael as the engineer, on his last summer working there. It was a sad time. But then, Laurie applied for, and got, a concessions worker job at Storybook Land, and she was the engineer this summer. I better post a picture of my new engineer. She was named Employee of the Month on her first month of working there.<br />
<br />
Last week was Gypsy Day, and I found some photos on my camera that either Becky or Miranda took. The kids were on the swings and in the pumpkin patch. I am always thinking about taking down the old swing set and putting in a patio, but I'm glad I didn't, since the cousins all seemed to like being on the swings together.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-6906784371862675022015-06-07T08:01:00.000-07:002015-06-07T08:01:37.756-07:00Room TemperatureIt's one of the rare room temperature days in Aberdeen, a perfect, sunny Sunday morning. You have to collect these and place them in jars like butterflies, or press them between sheets of waxed paper.<br />
Miranda's family should be returning from California soon. Yesterday, we saw Becky, Tony and Sophie, and Art took Tony to the pool.<br />
Mike is working at Storybook Land again this summer and Laurie is writing a novel.<br />
Fun times!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-70813109854679842182014-03-27T16:38:00.000-07:002014-03-27T16:38:14.900-07:00Days with TonyI've had Tony a few days now, and we are having a good time. He sure loves trucks! And he sure has a strong arm. He is amazingly coordinated. I can see him playing serious baseball someday.<br />
Laurie presented her science project on music affecting cognitive learning and she and Becky are at the awards night right now.<br />
<br />
Toto loves having Tony around. He is Toto's very bestest friend/<br />
<br />
Becky had a false alarm Monday night, but has been teaching ever since and doing well. Baby is holding off so far.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-60864094720763895912014-03-24T17:26:00.001-07:002014-03-24T17:26:17.340-07:00Have they checked lost and found?
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband’s
wedding ring – the one he lost while bagging leaves a few years ago – is still
missing.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So are my son’s
glasses, last seen in the Johnson Fine Arts Center and nearly new when they
disappeared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mountain bike my
son won in a Ken’s drawing a couple decades ago, missing before he had a chance
to ride it? Still gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stroller that
vanished from our carport when my firstborn was small:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never found it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the years, I’ve
lost my grandfather’s baby spoon, an opal ring, a camera with baby pictures on
the film.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can still list items,
large and small, lost through the years, and remember them with regret.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people seem to
carry around a mental list of lost items.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of all lost things,
though, not many are as large or as significant as a 777 full of crew and
passengers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where can Flight
MH370 be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all hoped that somehow it landed in a
remote area, passengers still alive, taken as part of a bizarre plane-masking
experiment, or even a hijacking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speculators have posited
scenarios from a slow-moving fire to evacuation into a black hole <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- from terrorism to space alien intervention.
One publication even blamed global warming for the difficulty finding the
airliner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it’s anything
like what normally happens when things go missing, however, surprises are coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You search for the
missing USB cable and find the $20 bill you’d forgotten you’d lost a month
before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, while looking
for the overdue library book, you find the misplaced tax form, or the school
folder your sister desperately needed last week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how it works
with lost things. You might not find what you’re looking for, but you’re almost
sure to turn over something interesting while you look, something else lost a
while back. And the found item is never where you’d think it should be. Finding
it always comes as a surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you misplaced
your car keys, you’ll find the flash drive containing last semester’s term
paper -- the one you had to do over from scratch -- and you’ll find it in the
glove compartment of your car instead of in your laptop case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve lost your
gym shoes, you’ll find the two DVDs you spent a whole weekend searching for in
January. They won’t be with your other DVDs but in the bottom of an unused gym
bag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t it be great
if -- while search teams were hunting for Flight 370 -- they happened upon Amelia
Earheart’s plane?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps they’d find
the five ships and body of vanished Italian explorer John Cabot, missing since
before Shakespeare’s day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be typical
to find something like the stolen Rembrandt painting -- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Storm on the Sea of Galilee</i> -- instead of the cockpit section
of the lost 777.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bandleader Glenn
Miller, whose plane disappeared over the English Channel in 1944, might at last
turn up. So would that mysterious hijacker D.B. Cooper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t it be
wonderful if somehow the search teams discovered, alive and ready for rescue,
Bowe Bergdhal, the U.S. Army sergeant captured and missing in Afghanistan since
2009?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would not at all
surprise me if the sub hunter Poseidon had discovered the lost city of Atlantis
while searching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, lost
items do seem to migrate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if, by some odd
chance, the Australian authorities come upon my husband’s wedding ring, I’ll be
ready for the call to come pick it up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-14277355936669010992014-01-14T14:39:00.002-08:002014-01-14T14:39:50.952-08:0036 years!Art and I celebrated 36 years yesterday. When we married, rain poured down in sheets. I remember having to go downstairs, outside and in through the front doors of our church/warehouse. I had to lift my skirts and train to keep from dragging mud into the church! As far as I know, I was successful. Since moving to South Dakota, we've never had rain on our anniversary date!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-r4AEPx1R82CNwfHBS3lC-jU4d7rV3Tlu_wZehTH4DdIos8xeVyaba3LS5EO8czWjRAHRhnVecIa-lM5FgWrp0vsQmIz2ZlGwTqSWDHrF2KgIF7ycJw7jtB4ddaGjHTkhCzHhAJhrTg/s1600/artanddonna+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-r4AEPx1R82CNwfHBS3lC-jU4d7rV3Tlu_wZehTH4DdIos8xeVyaba3LS5EO8czWjRAHRhnVecIa-lM5FgWrp0vsQmIz2ZlGwTqSWDHrF2KgIF7ycJw7jtB4ddaGjHTkhCzHhAJhrTg/s320/artanddonna+(2).jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-15322013641019869382014-01-14T14:35:00.001-08:002014-01-14T14:36:32.471-08:00Horizontal snow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAjUiBcq6oXjjLAE8EoFbWMlaNy54AXnjK3UjvTSbSQLrwmMpIDOWsn1ejMxnE8LVRRbD6L1UyEKkrN3AE34gfEuygnGqmo8gIni0EWUDPcKHeFIHoiDQNpAplMR-wlNdv35TJLaCFDI/s1600/goodboughs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAjUiBcq6oXjjLAE8EoFbWMlaNy54AXnjK3UjvTSbSQLrwmMpIDOWsn1ejMxnE8LVRRbD6L1UyEKkrN3AE34gfEuygnGqmo8gIni0EWUDPcKHeFIHoiDQNpAplMR-wlNdv35TJLaCFDI/s320/goodboughs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today, out the window, I saw horizontal snow and bright sunshine. That doesn't happen every day. After a day of overcast conditions, it was great to have beams of sunlight enter the window. But brisk winds sent flakes zooming past in streaks of glitter.<br />
<br />
Maybe, if we get another Polar Vortex, the bubble trick will work. I'd really like to see some frozen bubbles!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-77039133031621981322014-01-07T16:40:00.001-08:002014-01-10T00:44:47.858-08:00Blast from the PastSince starting my column in 1999, I've never talked about writing the column. I can't think of too much more boring than writers talking about writing. I swore I'd never, ever, write a column about how hard it is to come up with column ideas, the most boring topic of them all.<br />
<br />
I've tried to vary voice, tone and point-of-view. I've tried to put a twist on things. I've written Q and A format columns and quiz format columns, descriptive pieces and dialogs.<br />
<br />
I've occasionally made a point by delving into satire. Usually, I am able to pull this off without a problem, but sometimes I've fallen short, and readers have complained.<br />
<br />
Since complaints have been pouring into the publisher this week over my<a href="http://www.aberdeennews.com/life/soliloquy-don-t-knock-the-knockout-game/article_415e7b73-fd08-5083-b1f2-64fce454a509.html" target="_blank"> last column</a>, it made me remember past satirical columns. I would hate to have satire unavailable as a form. I know the American News isn't the Saturday Evening Post or the New Yorker. It certainly isn't the Onion.<br />
<br />
Still, I respect my readers. If the column truly seemed to say I was cheering on those who play the knockout game, they <i>should</i> have complained, and I would be more concerned that so few did. I believe that most of my readers have good, discerning minds, so I do not blame the reaction to the column on them, but on my own approach to the structure and execution of the column. <br />
<br />
I could have given clues early on, and I could have made the suggestions even more outlandish so that there was no question what I was doing with the column. When done well, satire is an effective way to get a point across. Here, there are many ways to hurt people, and too often we excuse the ones who hurt. Those excuses contribute to societal decay and pain. By using physical harm rather than emotional and moral harm, I thought the excuses would be shown up for what they are. Instead, it looks like I am advocating physical harm, and nothing could be further from my intentions.<br />
<br />
But to show that satire can be effective, I will offer a few other satirical columns from the past that worked better. The problem is not satire. <br />
<br />
In the following guest editorial (this was before my regular column began) I called on Congress to name Wylie Lake an official "Great Lake" so we could receive federal benefits:<br />
<br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Aberdeen American News (SD)-March 12, 1998</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Aberdeen's Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_7f941e8d-39ac-ecd7-ab2f-7f3178c833e9 gm-spell">eho</span></span></span><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> suffers from an image problem. Not many people can tell you where it is, even if you explain that it's usually called Wylie Lake. A quick search for Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_fb602801-96a1-93a5-9b7e-9750c9f47d9a gm-spell">eho</span> on the Internet turns up nothing. If you search for Wylie Lake, all you get is a town called Lake Wylie in South Carolina.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Now, Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_6ba3a78c-5ec5-7398-cfa1-edb3fc1763c5 gm-spell">eho</span></span></span><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> is truly a great lake. What better spot is there for families to hang out or kids to play? Within walking distance you've got Storybook Land (free) a terrific park, concessions of all kinds and wonderful camping facilities, the Land of Oz, zoo and many playgrounds. Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_3b5dec49-dac9-de85-f5bd-59540ae94633 gm-spell">eho</span> is every kid's dream spot. But no one knows its name.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> That's why something needs to be done to give Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_1777e817-cc94-e831-4557-5328896a2a93 gm-spell">eho</span> the notoriety it deserves.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Thanks to Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the best method for promoting a local lake is obvious. Yes, it's time to ask Congress to designate Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_24de841c-9020-8e01-d605-5a911a69d030 gm-spell">eho</span> the nation's seventh Great Lake.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Last Friday the United States sprouted a sixth Great Lake: Lake Champlain in the Adirondacks near Vermont. By Leahy's sharp maneuvering and the president's order, Lake Champlain became an equal to Lake Michigan or Lake Superior, despite being 15 times smaller in surface area than Lake Ontario, the smallest of the original Great Lakes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> The designation of Lake Champlain as a Great Lake left some observers scratching their heads. After all, Utah's Great Salt Lake, covering 1,700 miles is more than three times larger than Lake Champlain (you can actually spot the Great Salt Lake on a map).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Perhaps the Great Salt Lake was disqualified from Great Lake status because of its salt content or because it already had "Great" in its name, or because it boasts only brine shrimp and brine flies as attractions, or because you can smell it 20 miles away. Most likely it was passed over because its deepest point is 35 feet.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> If</span><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gm_ gm_bdda2fbc-3c18-7191-7b1f-4d717de03ac4 gm-spell gm_tiny"> </span>depth mattered, however, then surely Lake Tahoe which straddles the Nevada-California border - would have been in the running. At 1,200 feet deep, it is more than three times </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the depth of</span> Champlain.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> A Web site touting Lake Tahoe's virtues claims that "with one dispersion of waters, the state of California would be covered to a depth of 14.5 inches." This is indeed a virtue that ought to place Lake Tahoe right up there with the Greats.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> The Web site also boasts of Tahoe's greatness by insisting that the Panama Canal could be filled by Lake Tahoe's water and "extend completely around the earth at the equator, with enough remaining in the lake to fill another channel of the same width and depth running from San Francisco to New York."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Why anyone would want the Panama Canal to extend around the equator is hard to fathom, but to run a canal from San Francisco to New York offers possibilities, especially if both cities also could be flooded to a depth of 14.5 inches.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Lake Champlain probably beat out both Lake Tahoe and the Great Salt Lake for two reasons. First, Lake Champlain is famous for its monster sightings. The Loch Ness type creature, most likely invented by the Vermont Department of Tourism, appears periodically and is called "Champ" by locals.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Certainly Aberdeen's Convention and Visitors Bureau could come up with something comparable. Or Frosty could do double duty as "Wylie" and folks could try to find out where Wylie was in the sum <span class="gm_ gm_39465c37-bbe4-bd04-7e4d-a823902c21f6 gm-spell">mer</span> just like they try to find out who Frosty is in the winter.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Second, Vermont's Sen. Patrick Leahy holds a lot of clout. He wanted an extra $56 million from the feds to study the lake and managed to get it, not by changing the Sea Grant Program to fight Lake Champlain's zebra mussel problem, but by getting Congress and the president to dub it "Great."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Now that we know how these geological changes work, we should seek increased status for Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_c0993214-31a3-8e62-f172-03c462951c41 gm-spell">eho</span>. Sure, Lake Champlain is probably a thousand times larger than our little lake, but I wager that our congressional </span></span>dele<span class="gmw_">gation<span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> can make up in influence for what Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_61de2339-31d8-c17d-d806-3a9b9dfc9a55 gm-spell">eho</span> lacks in size.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> We've got the Senate minority leader. And Thune can work on the Republican majority, even if it means he has to put together a few barbershop quartets to do it. Surely, if our congressional delegation can pull down great wads of highway transportation funds, it can do something as simple as getting Lake Minne-<span class="gm_ gm_218de5b9-7b57-74a9-a75b-64d34d73df42 gm-spell">eho</span> designated as a Great Lake.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Donna <span class="gm_ gm_a75943a7-7297-a80d-d077-a5faa5d47961 gm-spell">Marmorstein</span> is a member of the American News Editorial Board.</span></span></span></span> <br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Section: FRONT</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Page: 4A</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The following duct tape banning column wasn't universally effective. This one brought a call from a Minneapolis radio station, but once they realized it was satire, and they didn't find a nut-job who really wanted to ban duct tape, they were no longer so interested in an interview.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Had I been on my toes when the radio station called, I would have insisted on a duct tape ban and launched myself into fame and fortune. I could have sta<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_">rted an anti</span><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_">-duct tape movement and become the spokesperson. But I hadn't had my morning coffee yet, so here I am, churning out misunderstood columns and contemplating tar and feathering as a new exercise <span class="gm_ gm_2bc67e7d-f9b2-50bc-c374-1a2606b76c79 gm-spell">regimine</span>.</span></span></span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">April 2, 2000</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Bold restrictions needed on duct tape</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> The danger of duct tape became apparent this week when a 12-year-old confessed to me that she had helped bind a classmate with it at school, just for fun. No one was hurt, but the potential for harm was chilling.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Duct tape figures into more and more crimes and malicious acts. Recently, a Massachusetts day care manager admitted taping an 8-month-old baby to the wall for amusement. The manager joked with co-workers about the baby's struggles on the wall. This act went beyond expression of a sick sense of humor and ventured into cruelty.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> We've heard about ugly uses of duct tape before. Armed robbers have wrapped up convenience store clerks with it during robberies. Kidnappers and murderers have bound and suffocated victims with it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Dangerous use of duct tape is becoming a common practice. It is time to reflect on the role of duct tape in our society and ask ourselves this vital question:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Is duct tape necessary?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> We've gone for thousands of years without duct tape. We can get along perfectly well without it now. Masking tape is a much safer alternative in most instances and is not as gaudy as duct tape. No constitutional amendment gives us the right to use duct tape. No legitimate use overrides the need to protect OUR CHILDREN from its adhesive perils.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> The truth is patently clear: Duct tape can be harmful and even fatal. We must take measures to clip the growing abuse of this silver menace, even at the cost of curtailing legitimate uses of it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> If cities can restrict spray paint sales to minors because of graffiti and vandalism, surely they should be able to limit duct tape sales, too. And for extra protection, especially for children, tape manufacturers should be required to package duct tape in containers equipped with special locks.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> These measures</span> <span class="gmw_">could help avert</span><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gm_ gm_38c1d90a-744c-261e-7298-23350a21fddf gm-spell gm_tiny"> </span>youth-oriented tape abuse, though they would not be enough to stop adult duct-tape-armed criminals. That's why we also must consider background checks and pre-purchase waiting periods.</span></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Who knows? Maybe that day care manager had a long record of taping babies to walls. A simple background check would have warned the owner to steer clear of this baby taper even before any job interview. The day care would still be in business today.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> No doubt some will play up "legitimate" uses of duct tape in arguments against duct-tape restrictions. They will demand free, unhampered access to duct tape as a right, pointing to such crucial uses as repairing eyeglass frames, cracked tail lights, ducks, faulty diapers, space shuttle parts and board game boxes. Convenience to duct-tape activists --- sadly --- overrides the escalating potential for abuse.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> The time to act on duct tape is now --- before the formation of a powerful duct tape lobby. If we wait much longer, we may be stuck.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Donna <span class="gm_ gm_17125a45-cec8-743a-7064-01770b33239a gm-spell">Marmorstein</span> is a mom and a fill-in copyeditor at the American News.</span></span></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Edition: AN</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Section: FOCUS</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Page: 1E</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">In this next column, I suggested that welfare recipients be trained to be scam artists. In only one column, I was able to make light of misguided welfare reformers, Internet scammers and stupid government programs all at once:</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">WELFARE RECIPIENTS COULD LEARN SCAM ARTISTRY</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Aberdeen American News (SD)-February 6, 2000</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> New York recently came up with the idea of paying welfare recipients to work as telephone psychics. Though bad publicity forced the program to end, New York had been paying 15 welfare recipients $10 an hour to interpret the future with tarot cards.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Even if those helping troubled callers were troubled themselves --- financially struggling and socially suffering --- and even if they weren't clairvoyant, they were qualified if they could manage English and had high school diplomas. New York wouldn't, of course, pay psychics without high school diplomas!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Callers desperate enough to spend $4.99 a minute for supernatural help would end up talking to people who --- though maybe not gifted with extra sensory perception --- were trained to foresee the future through a welfare-to-work program called Business Link.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Someone in New York was on the ball. Recruiting companies who teach welfare recipients to pull in the bucks from desperate people is --- well --- clever! And if New York can come up with clever ways to get welfare beneficiaries supporting families, certainly South Dakota should be able to do the same or better.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> One way would be for South Dakota Job Service or similar groups to train welfare recipients to offer slick deals over the Internet.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> By looking at my full e-mail box I see infinite possibilities. One e-mail I recently received says, "Dear Internet Goer, I am writing you this letter to share with you some very valuable literature. Internet Goer, if you have very bad credit and a lot of negative marks on your credit file that hinder you from obtaining loans, debt consolidation, credit cards, etc., then Internet Goer, this letter may be of interest to you."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> It was of interest to me. For one, I have never been called Internet Goer. For another, my interest always peaks when I'm offered a chance to share "valuable literature."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> But of even more interest was the possibility that some needy welfare recipient could profit by sending out valuable literature, too.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Would such a program be legal? Well, this e-mail says so. "With this information you will be able to get a new credit file legally! Yes, you can get a totally new credit file with no trace back to your old one --- and it's legal by law!" Legal by LAW, now. Not legal some other way.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Or, welfare recipients could offer plans to lose weight FAST while sleeping. Another e-mail reveals this amazing break-though. "If you restrict calories, the body goes into starvation mode and starts consuming MUSCLE for food and FAT for reserves! DREAMAWAY was developed by <span class="gm_ gm_bbb80990-d29e-d05b-89f4-567dde1d445f gm-spell">an</span></span></span><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> M.D. and is backed by extensive scientific research!" <span class="gm_ gm_d12788c3-52eb-ec60-0d2b-9c7500e4d8b6 gm-spell">An</span> M.D. and scientific research? Well, then. What are we waiting for? People actually pay for these "unique combination of nutrients."</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Why shouldn't welfare recipients get in on the by offering their own similar promotions?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Next week, see how offers of fake driver's licenses, fake diplomas and get-rich-quick schemes can help reduce welfare rolls.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_"> Donna <span class="gm_ gm_7e0b020f-df52-347b-15f3-c18a4b967348 gm-spell">Marmorstein</span> is a mom and a fill-in copyeditor at the American News.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Edition: AN</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Section: FOCUS</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: monospace; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Page: 1E</span><br />
<br />
<br />
This one was just fun. I never heard that anyone took it seriously, but one never knows for sure.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">For safety's sake, curb your language </span></span></span><br />
<br />
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Calif., arsonist sentenced to 12 years for firebombing the Vallejo courthouse.
The man’s accused accomplice was found dead in her jail cell, having hung
herself. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arson and its
aftermath: deadly. </span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What causes someone
to engage in arson? No one really knows. What we do know, however, is that
potential arsonists are frequently exposed to fire metaphors. Public officials
and journalists sometimes resort to insensitive turns of phrase, “igniting
controversy,” “sparking” discussion or change, “emblazoning” a company name on
a label.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same newspaper
that reported on the arsonist’s conviction used fire terms metaphorically
numerous times in the last 3 months. Could it be possible that “heated”
rhetoric could blaze itself into the consciousness of unstable individuals with
tragic results?</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_">The New York Daily News reported this week, that a male model confessed to killing a gay journalist in New York. He is accused of using a corkscrew to mutilate sensitive areas of the journalist<span class="gm_ gm_58da7421-0892-623e-4b4b-94239b435b3c gm-spell">, </span>and leaving him to die in his blood. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same publication
reporting the incident used the metaphor “skewered,” at least 8 times in
December alone: Jon Stewart skewers Republicans, a councilman “dashes off a
skewering response,” a comedian “skewers” Angelina Jolie. Sure, it’s just a
metaphor, but who knows what effect a careless metaphor might have on a person
at the breaking point?</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week, two of
four murder victims in a Washington D.C. suburb were bound with duct tape and
killed. Duct tape. How often do we hear of duct tape used as a key instrument
in murders, kidnapings and other crimes? </span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="gmw_"><span class="gmw_">Duct tape is a silent, deadly menace. And yet politicians and journalists still resort to adhesive metaphors. He “adheres to the belief that...,” “The candidate sticks solidly to his core beliefs,” “She adheres firmly to the idea that...” Worst of all is the metaphor that combines<span class="gm_ gm_cb686689-5ccc-bcdc-f1fa-162157a5f4be gm-spell gm_tiny"> </span>subtle duct tape imagery with ballistic language: Stick to your guns. Stick to your guns!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Stick to your guns”
is a tragic event waiting to happen. No one should ever be allowed to use this
phrase.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keith Olbermann,
after the mass shooting in Tucson this month, laid the blame squarely where it
belonged: on metaphors.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy to see the
harm in metaphors of violence. But even metaphors that aren’t directly violent
could be the very catalyst that propels a disturbed person to commit violence.
Did I just write “catalyst”? Scratch that. Scratch? Excuse me. I’ll try again:
Even seemingly nonviolent metaphors <i>could result in</i> violence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Olbermann asks us to
“re‑dedicate ourselves to our vigilance to eliminate all our own suggestions of
violence ‑ however inadvertent they might have been.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since so much of what we say is metaphorical,
and so many metaphors could spark – uh – <i>lead to</i> -- inadvertent
violence, we will have to be extremely vigilant. Extremely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The challenge, then,
is to end all metaphors. Free speech is a lovely idea. But if free speech
allows people to ignite heated rhetoric in the crowded theater of disturbed
minds, we are going to have to slap a price tag on metaphors. The first step is
to fine people who use metaphorical language.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fifty dollar fines
should do the trick. Anyone using a metaphor should be subject to a $50 fine
per metaphor. That ought to cut down on the use of – Cut? Uh, sorry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That ought to<i> lessen</i> the deadly use of
metaphors.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since all language
is metaphor, we won’t be able to stop at the most blatant examples. We’ll
eventually have to slap -- oops -- <i>place</i> fines on words. All words. And
after words, we’ll go after thoughts. It’s the sensitive thing to do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Jan. 16, 2011 </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-20046364678124713792013-05-05T13:22:00.000-07:002013-05-05T13:22:06.144-07:00Snow finally goneIt took a while. The snow kept coming back. Again and again. But at least there was no flooding. Laurie turned 13 and had a fun party at the roller rink.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipE8hDrBXF5EftJUwvzdWqY3gA3WncnK5u2wcrl-Yj08-f0QiFunMWd2u4LvrkFlBgH9BroJvXBddw45UmiKbbTnoJTk2pEWh9snYfQk9Pp8Xd7qwSvfyFRrSX86ctDX0PLPK4CvBqYkI/s1600/bestfriends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipE8hDrBXF5EftJUwvzdWqY3gA3WncnK5u2wcrl-Yj08-f0QiFunMWd2u4LvrkFlBgH9BroJvXBddw45UmiKbbTnoJTk2pEWh9snYfQk9Pp8Xd7qwSvfyFRrSX86ctDX0PLPK4CvBqYkI/s320/bestfriends.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-87766963731272150612013-02-12T07:57:00.002-08:002013-02-12T07:57:44.596-08:00Good year for itThis winter, I've been glad for two things especially. One, that Art had the backyard trees pruned back. We've had several wind storms and had the old, danging branches and leaning trunks been there, the garage may have been damaged, and we might have gone without power on cold days.<br />
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So, every time the wind blows, I'm glad for that decision.<br />
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Also, I'm glad we now have a snow blower. The last several years, we've had very little snow, but this year. Wow! Best year ever to have a snow blower. And here is Art. learning how to use it.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-22852548474990481652012-11-15T20:27:00.000-08:002012-11-15T20:30:17.655-08:00Michael's coming home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We'll see just how changed Michael is after his first few months of college when he comes home Saturday. He has been getting ready for Truman State's Madrigal Ball which looks like a cross between Christmas and a Gilbert and Sullivan production.<br />
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No RJ this year. He's staying in Virginia, observing Thanksgiving with Robert and family. But at least we'll have him home at Christmas. Robert and Beth plan to be in California for Christmas this year.<br />
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We're not sure about Becky and Ben because they may be moving to Colorado. If they are still in Pierre, we hope they and little Tony will join us for Christmas festivities.<br />
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It's always great to have family in town and we look forward to having Miranda, Vern, Kenneth and April here for Thanksgiving, along with Chuck and Ann from Faribault.<br />
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I'm learning to love winter. Even though it isn't really winter yet. In South Dakota, winter is everything that happens after the first half of October -- until May.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-66102392043219182182012-08-06T22:21:00.002-07:002012-08-25T18:13:38.681-07:001940's Revival Hymns<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vSXxeIYZU8-lLOue5kxBrF4-_NQsJac-p_cWGMRYLF5sDMJtPUWD7HOPq-Dy42kaiIZ3AtIU0qBM971jtY-DyyagK6k1_Cy2EFksFsfhHxtS9DjEwwbOVy60MJexB5WUSun4ABDwjwE/s1600/bestillmyhappy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vSXxeIYZU8-lLOue5kxBrF4-_NQsJac-p_cWGMRYLF5sDMJtPUWD7HOPq-Dy42kaiIZ3AtIU0qBM971jtY-DyyagK6k1_Cy2EFksFsfhHxtS9DjEwwbOVy60MJexB5WUSun4ABDwjwE/s400/bestillmyhappy.jpg" width="400" /></a>Chuck Godwin of <a href="http://faribaultpiano.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Maestro Piano Studios in Faribault</a>, MN, and Michael Marmorstein play WWII era revival hymns at Faith United Methodist Church.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-91628024116831080602012-07-16T11:48:00.001-07:002012-07-16T12:03:26.831-07:00Fun with cousins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Robert and Beth are here visiting for a few weeks this summer, and the kids are having a was crazy and fun when Ben and Becky came out bringing Tony! We had 5 of the 6 kids here (missing only RJ) and all 6 grand kids. The cousins had a great time playing with each other. Grandma and Grandpa are having fun, too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-11447684611295083962012-05-10T08:12:00.000-07:002012-05-10T13:06:23.816-07:00End of School Year Events<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=10d6c16c78c8fac98c7468a&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url" target="_blank">Please Click Here </a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-69882269948913721492012-03-22T15:34:00.002-07:002012-03-22T17:02:37.168-07:00Health mysteries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwxjQR1vW6XNOzWDnhOvCN6YvU4G7rseg9R4KUOzIzh2RNsFuoRUcr2z7hbJLgbRubms5VZblyUIXzO6BGNZh6e5TysBzhvDBhKAKKsPVxCmL0d_DH0fSec0J1nznAHQVigA3Vw9RvhM/s1600/lightspargrass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwxjQR1vW6XNOzWDnhOvCN6YvU4G7rseg9R4KUOzIzh2RNsFuoRUcr2z7hbJLgbRubms5VZblyUIXzO6BGNZh6e5TysBzhvDBhKAKKsPVxCmL0d_DH0fSec0J1nznAHQVigA3Vw9RvhM/s320/lightspargrass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Art has had pain in his legs. It started in one leg and then slowly crept into the other. I knew it was serious when he made a doctor's appointment. He avoids doctor's offices and toughs things out most of the time.<br />
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They did an EKG, took x-rays and scheduled blood tests and an appointment with a muscular-skeletal (?) specialist. Maybe it's a spine thing, or maybe it's peripheral artery disease (my conclusion). They've told him his blood pressure is too high and we are getting on a heart-healthy diet and an exercise regimen around here.<br />
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Today, I cleaned the fridge and tried to fill it with heart-healthy food. Tomorrow the cupboards. Laurie is unhappy because I told her I wasn't buying ice cream for a while. I'll just have to take her to Twist Cone every so often.<br />
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Doctor's office just called to say Art's x-rays and EKG came out clear.<br />
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Anyone with decent heart-healthy recipes without weird food items? Recipes that don't make food that tastes like garbage? Could sure use some good ideas for decent tasting items that don't call for weird ingredients.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-23202662656593626362012-02-29T16:49:00.002-08:002012-02-29T16:49:43.156-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_i49W4wrs8ZB5jm1InnJz7Mz2LfnhdS6alIZA3Ama_HwejTAMfgXJnNg8FbRPBNDByt9yZQhn8hMT5e1zKdcFNX8WeKnZlp0wBUJDHay_j3gv3ByqJ2q2xfiHjqQuYFLsmMqkGnCZjrM/s1600/ljfork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_i49W4wrs8ZB5jm1InnJz7Mz2LfnhdS6alIZA3Ama_HwejTAMfgXJnNg8FbRPBNDByt9yZQhn8hMT5e1zKdcFNX8WeKnZlp0wBUJDHay_j3gv3ByqJ2q2xfiHjqQuYFLsmMqkGnCZjrM/s640/ljfork.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-43285491508322351542012-02-23T14:43:00.002-08:002012-02-23T15:06:54.606-08:00Short winter, mellow winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtDL5kKonelQavsOsUw6vWCo5U5XKa0jAAc7rVkqGPQPN4ykzHK-x0KyXExo_mGVCouhi60-3sZ8DXPUAXfaStry7F2iMeli2JeR1ur_TGRiwYeUU6aySr00OcxhdHnznLoKO8PdP9Jk/s1600/frostyroad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtDL5kKonelQavsOsUw6vWCo5U5XKa0jAAc7rVkqGPQPN4ykzHK-x0KyXExo_mGVCouhi60-3sZ8DXPUAXfaStry7F2iMeli2JeR1ur_TGRiwYeUU6aySr00OcxhdHnznLoKO8PdP9Jk/s400/frostyroad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Again, the clogged highways, the pile-ups and harsh weather circles around Aberdeen. To the north, a semi carrying cattle rolled over, and Facebook comments talked about milkshakes. To the south, schools closed early. Thick snow. Here. The rain is barely to the freezing point and melts on contact with the road. <br />
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What is it about Aberdeen lately that causes storms to part, go around us and leave us alone? <br />
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Today, it is wet, cool, windy, drippy. The new fireplace has been on much of the day, and Laurie has missed two days of school because of a stomach bug, so she has been hanging out by the fire or in bed and it is very quiet.<br />
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Michael was named a National Merit Scholar, provoking more interest from colleges, and a few decent scholarship offers. He's also been busy with jazz band, show band, pep band, Contest, and a bunch of other stuff. So busy that he was not able to audition for a couple of music scholarships.<br />
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Miranda keeps finding old family news in her genealogical searching and posting her finds on Facebook. Becky is moving to Pierre where she will need to be on bed rest the next few months to keep from going into active labor.<br />
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RJ has been on choir tour in the southeast U.S., and was in Atlanta the last I heard. He and Angelica seem to be happy with each other. <br />
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Mike leaves for Vermillion tomorrow for a show choir competition. He's on keyboards. He's also been composing many songs in what little spare time he has. One song he used the sound of a coffee maker trickling coffee for a jungle sound.<br />
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Miranda and Vern returned safely from a trip to the Twin Cities. They brought me back some coffee!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-65981899479964896102011-12-16T21:45:00.000-08:002011-12-16T21:45:04.205-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzQdZEdgYTLgH2PMeL9myrYhnynXr-HNSITlkmkrkKiE6wpUOJw-xk5SahyTkdvPHqbeMIt9g5QPtKAR-wUyT1GvfdTbSLFtTpAGEYmEHxZpBy1HTbHQzw0KdwlSYvhmFzt-6nLmtpBg/s1600/christmaspoem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzQdZEdgYTLgH2PMeL9myrYhnynXr-HNSITlkmkrkKiE6wpUOJw-xk5SahyTkdvPHqbeMIt9g5QPtKAR-wUyT1GvfdTbSLFtTpAGEYmEHxZpBy1HTbHQzw0KdwlSYvhmFzt-6nLmtpBg/s400/christmaspoem.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-17376319839211986092011-11-15T14:04:00.000-08:002011-11-22T09:42:02.735-08:00Change of Seasons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdM6on-sZTJlKTjyn2jZIHwFK_Wsf-PJG3VeL4Ae6vYWEQ_Jg4bPyGrinNDqISAeK38Ik8EMx328iElDZd3JfKypJaSjWVENo63u7JSWWjrVc7spv4kgmDIRceFmhkLPSfpECcpEZSXA/s1600/mikeartstrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdM6on-sZTJlKTjyn2jZIHwFK_Wsf-PJG3VeL4Ae6vYWEQ_Jg4bPyGrinNDqISAeK38Ik8EMx328iElDZd3JfKypJaSjWVENo63u7JSWWjrVc7spv4kgmDIRceFmhkLPSfpECcpEZSXA/s320/mikeartstrings.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We've had a long fall this year. Sometimes, fall seems to last about three weeks, but this year it's been a long, warm, dry, delightful season.<br />
Mike is in the middle of applying to colleges, churning out essays for each one. He used to agonize over these, but the more he writes them, the easier it becomes.<br />
We went to Vermillion a couple of weeks ago when he competed in the MNTA (Music National Teachers Association?) competition. Two were competing: Mike and a homeschooled, blond bombshell wearing a sleeveless, black, full-length evening gown. Her mother homeschools her and happens to be a renowned piano teacher near Sioux Falls. Anyway, Mike is an alternate and does not move on to the next level, playing mid-January in Boulder, Colo., thank goodness.<br />
Laurie just passed a math test that allows her to compete in Math Counts. Her first contest is this week. She is also singing for the city Living Christmas Tree. Mike is playing trumpet for it.<br />
This weekend, Mike also volunteered for the Tour of Homes, a charity event. Mostly, he stood guard and kept people out of unauthorized areas of a home of the rich and famous.<br />
Before that, I was involved in our church rummage and bake sale, which was a lot of work and a lot of fun. I love the ladies at the church. Good hearts, every one of them. <br />
Art is faculty senate president this year and keeps things running smoothly at Northern, the best he can.<br />
RJ seems to be adjusting to college life, though he's had some challenging classes this semester. He also went out on his first date to the Mock Convention Gala, a fancy ball kind of thing. The girl's name is Angelica. Isn't that beautiful?<br />
Robert and Beth are expecting another little Marmorstein in February, and Becky and Ben expect a little one in June. Blessings everywhere!<br />
We bought a "new" car, with 112,000 miles on it. We like our Venture, so we got another one. They only made these until 2005, and this is a 2004. So far, we love it. Now Mike will drive our old one instead of the merry Oldsmobile which has a cracked windshield and bad wipers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-76245846471402570582011-06-18T17:18:00.000-07:002011-07-03T09:52:33.928-07:00Kenneth's birthday and Robert's visitWe had a great time with Robert, Beth and the kids while they were here the last several weeks. Lots of pinochle and Art took the kids to the pool a lot. While they were here, Kenneth celebrated his birthday. He's now 5:<br />
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<div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=e49690939a8fe4b24053f1" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="408" height="382" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=e49690939a8fe4b24053f1&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:408px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt4" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Make an on-line slideshow at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-11406557414182164642011-06-06T21:56:00.000-07:002011-06-06T21:56:32.203-07:00My Boys Staters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LnX9BFyrIKCgKMPw9CcV1H_eM7VppkPSxaZE3-AFpRNyItlyl47nL7wgKOcIkmWCp0rb7o-QgmLlmCerhduI3ZTaFXmjL6pN6Oi6byhMw_tKptOl4UxZKftl0cziOufsiINRakleAJ0/s1600/3sons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LnX9BFyrIKCgKMPw9CcV1H_eM7VppkPSxaZE3-AFpRNyItlyl47nL7wgKOcIkmWCp0rb7o-QgmLlmCerhduI3ZTaFXmjL6pN6Oi6byhMw_tKptOl4UxZKftl0cziOufsiINRakleAJ0/s640/3sons.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The boys obliged me and let me take a photo of them around the Boys State monument on the NSU campus across the street. I am proud of each of them for making it into Boys State and I'm grateful to the American Legion for giving them the opportunity to learn how government works.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5709025588494913043.post-44854084612004261182011-06-05T17:34:00.000-07:002011-06-05T17:34:36.344-07:00Island in the streamThe capital, Pierre, is threatened with flood waters. All around are flooded fields, and yet we are dry in Aberdeen. I feel guilty, almost, being untouched by the forces of nature. We've seen the tsunami in Japan, the tornadoes in the south and floods in the north. Here, it is a perfect day of room temperature weather.<br />
Robert and Beth are visiting with family. We had a nice cookout yesterday at Miranda's, except for Kenneth burning his hand on the barbecue.<br />
Art teaches a U.S. history class starting tomorrow.<br />
Mike spent a week at Boys State and didn't exactly enjoy himself. He did run for state treasurer.<br />
RJ is riding his unicycle in the ACT production of Chicago next week. He's spent many hours sitting around reading since he only has a roll-on part and there is a lot of rehearsing for the actors. He's doing some crew work, too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0