Category Archives: Cool

Bob Upgren – one of the coolest speakers I’ve ever heard/seen

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I don’t remember ever hearing a speaker quite like the man I heard today. I had the opportunity to videotape an appearance of Bob Upgren at the Belle Mehus this afternoon, and was really moved by his presentation. Apparently I must live under a rock, because a lot of people knew of him when I was still in the dark. Bob incorporates chalk drawing into his presentation, which is simply phenomenal.

I’d describe Mr. Upgren as more of an inspirational speaker than a motivational one; his message today had a lot more meat to it than anything I’ve heard from other speakers. It was especially relevant because he’s from here, which in my book goes a long way. His message of serving others as a means to success rings true; I wish more people would consider this. It’s the kind of wisdom we all need a dose of now and then.

I’m not a basketball fan, but those of you who are would probably remember Bob as a standout basketball star (All American, in fact) and from his Cross Training Christian basketball camps. I can see how his enthusiasm would be an asset on the court!

It’s hard to believe I didn’t know about Bob Upgren despite my love of Bismarck-Mandan and all things local. It just goes to show that our small cities are bigger than we think, and that there are plenty of cool things to learn and exceptional people to meet right here at home. If you get the chance to see Bob Upgren speak, take it!

I wonder if they’ve got Kenny Baker in there

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I saw this mailbox the other day and, as a Star Wars geek, it certainly caught my eye. The first question to cross my mind was, “I wonder if they’ve got Kenny Baker in there? It’s actually a bit of an inside joke.

My workplace has a handful of Star Wars fans. We don’t come to work in our stormtrooper outfits or anything, but we like the movies. We also try to deny the fact, since it’s pretty much the mark of a nerd. So, when I made a comment one time about “what, did they stick Kenny Baker in there?” I accidentally broadcast my geekdom to the whole office. Like they didn’t know anyway.

Anyway, they’re selling Star Wars stamps, I guess…and that’s the reason for this promotion. The mailbox has a web address on the side (now a dead link) where you could vote for your favorite Star Wars stamp and that sort of thing. I’m a stamp collector and a Star Wars fan, but I haven’t voted yet. Maybe after I’m done organizing my pocket protectors and trying to define Pi to 67,891 digits. If you know the significance of that number, or clicked on the Pi link to see what Wikipedia has to say about it, you really ARE a geek! Welcome to the club. Now hitch up those pants, soldier!

About that “protest” in front of the Mandan Library on Wednesday

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I noticed we were getting a lot of stares, so I figured I might clarify. It wasn’t a real protest in front of the old Mandan Library building on Wednesday, it was a photo shoot for an album cover. We were shooting a bunch of stills to composite for an upcoming album release, in which we’re filling the steps with protesters. Want more details? I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned. Get it…tuned? Okay, so I’m not funny.

My new favorite place to eat in Bismarck

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I didn’t know much about Taco del Mar when I saw them moving into the little strip mall on Bismarck Expressway. They’re right next to the Dairy Queen across from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club. A friend of mine who knows good Mexican food when he finds it suggested that we go to lunch at the Taco del Mar, and I’ve been hooked ever since!

I wouldn’t consider Taco Bell to be Mexican food, at least not authentic. Taco John’s is at least honest and calls their food “Tex Mex” in some of their signage. Taco del Mar, however, is a lot more authentic. They’ve got an enchilada sauce that I’ll probably dream about after I get done typing this and go to bed!

Patrick, the owner of this franchise, and his wife moved here from Fergus Falls. I had the opportunity to meet them and let ’em know how much I love their restaurant, and they’re really friendly folks! Tell ’em I said hi if when you visit their restaurant.

You can check out the menu at www.tacodelmar.com. Of course I tend to mix ‘n’ match anyway, getting the two taco combo with enchilada sauce on it. But they’ve never had a problem getting it right! Even though I live by my stomach, don’t take my opinion for it – visit Taco del Mar at your earliest opportunity and you will not be disappointed.

Some stories you may not have heard before

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My motorcycle buddy Chris is in media relations for the military, just like his dad. A little while ago he sent me a request from where he’s stationed (I’m not telling, but he’s a long way from Bismarck) to let me know he’s attached to the CentCom mission right now. He also asked that I provide a link to their site, so here we go: link

One of the things I wish the civilians in our government would do better is let us know what’s going on overseas. Really…if you watched nothing but CBS, NBC, or ABC, or read only the Bismarck Tribune, would you think that our troops are doing anything at all aside from hiding in the green zone digging holes and sitting them all day, leaving only to drive around aimlessly until an IED goes off next to their Humvee? Shamefully, if someone asked me about what the guys are doing over there, I would have few answers, and none of them specific. Our soldiers deserve better than that.

I know that people opposed to our President politically like to claim that issuing good news about the troops is “propaganda” and can’t be trusted. Obviously that’s wrong, but those people are 100% wrong about the military anyway. Those are the same people whose overblown statistics are accepted as biblical fact when it comes to trying to damage the war effort or try to pass their silly little resolution through the state legislature calling for “peace.”

If we wanted to get political about our military’s role overseas, which we don’t, a guy could ask why Bismarck soldiers just spent a year in Bosnia trying to help clean up a mess that Bill Clinton created and then didn’t follow through on once the headlines settled. I’m not asking that, and I told my friends serving there that I was grateful for what they’re doing. I meant it.

I’ve got friends who were involved in some of the nastiest close-quarter fighting of the entire war in Iraq, flushing out terrorists (no, not “insurgents” or “militants” or “freedom fighters”) with the 3rd ID. These guys were fighting building to building, sometimes room to room, and it’s amazing the stories they have to tell. Too bad nobody’s telling these stories for them. To find good news, one has to hunt for it.

So if you want to see some success stories to combat the dearth of accurate reporting on the local TV and newspaper, check out the Central Command website every now and then. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at what’s really going on over there.

Citizens’ Night at the legislature

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Last night the state legislature held a Citizen’s Night where they took care of some of the state’s business after hours. This allowed the public who are normally unable to make the regular daytime sessions to stop in and have a peek at how our elected legislators conduct the affairs of making the state’s laws. While it wasn’t as busy as I thought it might be, there seemed to be a pretty good crowd in the hallways.

This is the journal room, where folks can stop by to get a copy of bills they’re interested in. When I had an evening job and could hang out here during the session, I used to spend a lot of time at this window. It’s nice to have the text of the different resolutions and bills available, so you can read it yourself. Then go lean on the legislators from your district if necessary.

Upstairs there were a few groups with displays and people on hand to answer questions. I think these halls would have been busier, but this was during a point in the evening where everyone was jammed into meeting rooms to watch various committee hearings.

This building was built in the 1930s after the original capitol burned. I find it an aesthetically pleasing building, and it’s even cooler at night. There’s a lot of glass that glares into the building during the day, and I think that takes away from the style. At night a guy can see the building the way it was designed, and it’s really very nice. Not bad for such a rural state, huh?

This is one of those committee hearings that I mentioned earlier. In this particular meeting, Secretary of State Al Jaeger was answering questions regarding a bill, one which proposes to restrict an elected official on a city board or commission from serving on a county board or commission at the same time. While there are four people doing just that across North Dakota, he was unaware of any conflict of interest arising from the situation…yet. So it’s a precautionary bill. With larger cities expanding further into counties, there is always a chance of some friction, so I think this bill makes sense from that standpoint. By the way, did you know that only 15 cities in North Dakota boast populations in excess of 2,500 people?

This is the House chamber. There really isn’t anything going on here, because at the time I took this the session hadn’t come to order yet. I had other things to do at 8pm, so I was unable to hang around to watch the session. I’ve seen them before, they look a lot like this!

The Senate chamber. Smaller, cozier, and indicative of the inherent belief of Senators that they’re somehow special among everyone else, including the House. If you look toward the upper part of the screen, you’ll see Joel Heitkamp surfing moveon.org for his show’s talking points. Sorry Joel, I couldn’t resist!

Of course one of the highlights of any such event is going to be the free cookies and lemonade! These friendly ladies served everyone with smiles. This spread was provided and served by the Republican Legislative Spouses. Wait a minute, that doesn’t fit the cold-hearted, racist, greedy stereotype that I keep seeing in the media! Hm…

Thanks to the legislature for putting on this evening. I have to admit that I wish it had been more crowded. This kind of thing is quite interesting and enlightening. North Dakota’s legislature only meets every two years, so I suggest finding some time during the day to go wander around and take it all in. If it seems boring, it’s because you’ve never been there!

Cannon on the hill

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If I was referring to my camera and me, I would title this post “Canon on the hill.” I know, bad pun. This cannon sits atop a hill outside of Bismarck in a clearing atop a hill. I was out perusing after work a while back and it caught my eye, so I did a little investigating. After looking for the nearest mailbox, looking up the name thereon in my phone book, and placing a friendly call, I was able to head over to this interesting piece and take a few photos.

No, this is not a piece of war history. Yes, it does fire. It’s a homebuilt novelty capable of launching tennis ball sized projectiles for entertainment purposes. It would not be useful in holding back the British; however, it’s a great example of what a guy can do with an idea in his head and a welding stick in his hand.

The owners are two very nice folks who I’m glad I’ve met. The guy who built this device reminds me a lot of my dad and his brothers, who also would simply weld whatever they needed (and overbuild it as well). He graciously allowed me onto the property to look at his masterpiece and gave me a history of how it came to be. I love North Dakota hospitality…thanks for allowing me into your home.

As an aside, I’d like to point something out to my readers. I take a lot of photos from places that a guy wouldn’t normally be, and in doing so I make every effort to have permission first. My Fallen Farm series of photos are either taken from outside the fence lines of these dilapidated farms, or up close after tracking down the owners and receiving permission. I value my privacy and property rights so I must repect that of others.

If you see something really cool on this website and want to go check it out yourself, please contact me by email using the link at the top right of this page. I can let you know how to get permission to visit a particular site or let you know who to contact. It’s a simple matter of respect, something I think our society needs more of these days.

Separate ways

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Another music reference title for y’all. My wife is originally from Texas, and she’s had an old friend staying with us for the past week…so I find myself saying “y’all” a lot. Anyway, I digress as usual. This is a photo of the wind having two distinctly different effects at the same time. The steam on the left is heading east from the Tesoro refinery, while the steam from the Heskett Station power plant is drifting in the opposite direction.

I did some extensive poking around inside almost every single powerplant in North Dakota during the summer of 2006, including standing atop one of the 23-story boilers at the Coal Creek Station. You could fit the state capitol, the tallest building in North Dakota, inside that boiler. Crazy, huh? One thing I saw that hadn’t occurred to me before was the volume of steam generated by these plants, something that many people assume is smoke. After all, that’s what a power plant does: generate steam. The steam powers the big generators, sure, but everything upstream of the generators exists solely to produce steam.

While I still think that ethanol is a waste and the numbers show it to be a thermodynamic loser, I have to give credit to the guys who came up with the idea of using steam generated by the Coal Creek Station to power an ethanol plant. At least they’re not adding to the amount of energy it takes to produce ethanol, only to get a product with 70-80% of the energy output of an equivalent amount of gasoline. And one thing that nobody’s making a big deal out of is that E85 can actually be sold as E65 in this state without running afoul of state regulations!

None of these thoughts really crossed my mind when I snapped this photo, they just popped into my head as I started typing. After a long day in the garage, I guess it was just time for a big ol’ word dump accompanied by a reasonably neat picture.

That big coccoon under the Memorial Bridge

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If you’ve passed the Memorial Bridge construction site on the Bismarck side lately, you’ve likely noticed this big improvised tent along the hillside. I found out the story on this eye-catching structure today in a brief little tour. Here’s what it looks like inside:

This tent acts as a shelter for some very important work taking place inside. This is where the ground has been stabilized in preparation for the new bridge work…in fact, the ground beneath the loader contains around two hundred steel pilings, joined by welded steel plates! These guys are serious.

This area is where a large retaining wall will be constructed, and the pilings running down the length of this tent will be underground by the time things are finished. The sidewalk will eventually be poured on the left side of that concrete line. There’s a lot more steel work yet to be done, too!

The bed of this area is some of the nicest sandy soil I’ve seen since I did the concrete work around my house and garage (yeah, I’m a do-it-yourself type of guy). They’re busy getting ready for a big cement retaining wall to make sure that the land adjacent to the new bridge will be stable. This isn’t just a bunch of guys with loaders moving dirt; this is a careful and intricate process.

I’ve only mentioned a few of the really cool details about the work these guys are doing. I really appreciate the tour and answers to all my geeky questions. I sure can’t wait to see how the bridge work progresses over the next couple of months! Once this part is done, they’ll be off to the Mandan side to get that going. Hmmm…I wonder if they’re going to reuse that plastic?

No parking – unless there’s a bag over the sign

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Every two years the parking situation at the Capitol changes dramatically. With all the increased traffic due to the legislative session, some allowances must be made. That’s why you’ll find certain No Parking signs covered for the duration of the session.

I had an interesting incident involving this parking situation a few years back. I parked behind the state library, ran around to the front entrance to return some books, and came back to find that someone had backed into my vehicle. I have to commend the Highway Patrol on their fast response time, because an officer was already there to write a report.

I looked like the bad guy initially because I was parked in a “No Parking” zone. But once I reminded the officer that the legislature was in session, he agreed: the person who didn’t look where they were backing up was at fault. I believe this is actually part of state law, but don’t know the exact citation.

Despite the fact that more areas have been opened to parking, it’s still going to be tough to park near the capitol for a little while. It’s nice to see, however, that the folks in charge of the grounds are trying to make more parking area available.