You don’t have to live in ND to be our US Senator…

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…but you have to make it look that way. Yet we’ve got the 21st century version of the carpetbagger in North Dakota. I consider Dorgan a Virginia resident, although I’m sure he has a nominal address here in ND to hang on to his cushy Washington gig. He comes around to express concern about all the problems his fellow North Dakotans face, then zips back home. Yet our water intakes along the Missouri River system are sucking mud, farm prices and inequities with Canada haven’t gotten better, and he votes with his California Cronies™ instead of in line with the more level-headed folks he’s supposed to represent.

So what about Senator Conrad? At least he cast North Dakota’s vote when it came to confirming Judge Alito, but would that have happened in 2004 or 2005? I think it was an election year vote. The biggest thing about politics is being there…whether you’re a Republicrat or a Demican. So I trust all Congressmen to vote in one way: whatever lengthens their stay.

Back to the point of this post: Check out this picture. Supposedly our Senators Conrad and Dorgan inhabit these two meager little 8-unit apartments paired up in North Bismarck. It’s not exactly prime real estate. They’re not even security buildings. I lived here once…I wonder if the Senators and their wives have the same 70s-throwback olive green carpeting and appliances I did?

Hardly the kind of digs you’d expect for United States Senators, unless only their names live there. I’ve never seen them there. I haven’t lived there in years, but their names were on the mailboxes when I got there in the mid-90s and it’s still there today. So, I guess that makes them North Dakota residents…technically. Unless it’s some random schmucks with the same name (and living with a Lucy Calautti and Kim Dorgan. It can happen…right?)

I recently looked up who owned these buildings, and they’re owned by GKC Apartments, LLC. It appears to be a partnership set up by Kent Conrad, and I don’t know who else is involved. When I lived here the lady managing the property told me that the Senator’s brother owned them; I originally thought that would be Dorgan’s brother, but a little further investigation showed that “Conrad Brothers” was listed in the county records. In 2004 a quit-claim deed was filed to transfer the property to GKC Apartments. I assume GKC stands for Gaylord Kent Conrad, which is Kent’s real full name.

Anyway, it’s good to see that our two Senators get along so well that they decided to be neighbors. After all, that will help them coordinate their efforts to bring all those federal dollars home. Maybe then we won’t care if they sell our state’s soul to the devil and Nancy Pelosi.

Note: I promised (see the upper right panel) that this isn’t going to be a political blog, although I might be prone to a rant infrequently. Chalk this one up. Now it’ll be a while until you see another.

You’re likely to have an opinion on this.

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What’s a guy to do if he’s got 1) a spare S-10 chassis and 2) a spare Pontiac Firebird body lying around? Well, I think the answer is as obvious as peanut butter ‘n’ chocolate.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to hang around and talk to the owner/creator of this beast. I think the conversation would have been insightful. I recognize the S-10 running gear because of the skidplates (I have a set on my truck, they’re standard) and the tastefully applied “Vortec” sticker on the front quarter.

What I’d really like to know is: is this the same fella who has a 4×4 Cadillac Fleetwood, presumably on a Chevy Suburban chassis, complete with nerf bars? Or the 4×4 Mercedes SL sedan? Inquiring minds want to know. They’d also probably like to know what possesses a man to do such a thing…wrong or right, these vehicles sure do stand out. Especially during a winter snow emergency.

Albino fawn found near Stanley, ND…?

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I just got a copy of an email showing an albino deer with a touching story about it nearly getting hit by a car near Stanley. It was rescued and turned over to a game warden. Well, the first thing I do when I find something in my email is verify it. Turns out that this cute little guy is all over the net. He’s been found in Texas, Michigan, parts unknown, and now North Dakota! Always by the same loving family, although they seem to change their names slightly here and there. Shifty characters.

You can go to either snopes.com or just Google it to find out the truth.

So…the next time you find out about a million dollar offer from Bill Gates, or hear about a tax on emails, or get an inbox full of pictures too good to be true…check them out. Especially before forwarding them to your entire address book. Time spent checking your facts instead is a lot better than time spent trying to get your credibility back. Ask the New York Times.

Wednesday night sunset

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It’s been a little while since I posted a nice sunset. If you only knew how much mud I had to get on my truck to get this shot! Thank goodness to big tires, skidplates, and four wheel drive. This particular vantage point won’t be around long, with all the development going on in north Bismarck.

Stunning is the contrast between the bleak colorless ground and the vibrant cloud-streaked sky. Of course, if we were playing by the rules, those dead stalks and leaves would be covered under a pillowy blanket of white. But not today.

My friend Tony, who’s traveled all over the world and to pretty much every state, still claims North Dakota sunsets as his favorite. He’s in Alaska with his new wife now, so that’s quite a complement to our state. We might not have Alaska’s mountains (or bears) but we sure do know how to put on a good show when it comes to sunsets and thunderstorms!

Monthly bandwagon

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Jump on! If you’re an Internet junkie or frequent the blogosphere at all you’ve probably run into the Four Things Meme. What’s a “meme” you ask? According to the Wikipedia, it’s a piece of information traveling from one mind to another, with an analogy of “language as a virus.” That pretty well describes the “Four Things” phenomenon.

So, here are my answers to the list that’s going around:

Four jobs you’ve had in your life:

1. Ski patrol at a famous ski resort
2. Undercover shoplifting investigator
3. TV news technical director
4. Law enforcement

Four movies you could watch over and over:

1. Real Genius
2. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
3. Paulie
4. Top Gun

Four Places You’ve Lived:

1. Montana
2. North Dakota
(that’s all I’ve got…various places around each state)

Four TV shows you love to watch:

1. Boston Legal
2. 24
3. Seinfeld
4. Miami Vice

Four Places you’ve been on vacation:

1. Deals Gap, NC
2. Disney World
3. Glacier Park
4. Brainerd International Raceway

Four blogs you visit daily:
1. Tween
2. XPLSVtv
3. FARK.com
4. Any of the fine blogs (mostly ND) listed on the panel to the right

Four of your favorite foods:
1. Italian Sausage Pizziola Pasta at “The Walrus” in Bismarck
2. A&B Pizza – italian sausage with black olives
3. Applebee’s boneless buffalo wings – heavy on the sauce
4. Bourbon Street Steak

Four places I’d rather be:
1. Bed
2. Racing my motorcycles
3. SCUBA diving in warm caribbean water
4. Snowboarding the top of Challenger

Four albums I can’t live without:
1. Vince Guaraldi: “Charlie Brown Christmas”
2. Tangerine Dream: “Pergamon”
3. Seal: self-titled
4. B-52’s: “Naked on the Moon”

Four vehicles I’ve owned:
1. Nine motorcycles, several at the moment
2. Chevy Astro van with a stick shift
3. Chevy Luv pickup with a tendency to get airborne
4. Snowboard “Mavis”

Four people to be “tagged” who have to complete this:
(Consider yourself “tagged” if you’re reading this.)

Around the World in oh, about an hour

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I believe the route “around the world” started at least as far back as the 1970’s. It’s a route along a set of narrow, windy gravel county roads west of Mandan. I’m told that stoners used to drive this route and do their thing; I can’t attest to that. In fact, I never even heard it called “Around the World” until a few years ago.

My first encounter was actually part of a mountain biking trip. In the early 1990s during the Bike Route store’s heyday there were lots of neat organized rides. One such destination was at a big chunk of beautiful land called “The World” by local bikers. I’d heard about the place but never been there. So I threw my bike in my truck and followed some guys out there.

As it turns out, “The World” is land that had been owned by my best friend until about 1987! It’s a beautiful parcel with a valley below, a big cedar A-frame house facing the southwest…and open to mountain bikers! It was a fun realization…and incredible biking. And while nobody could tell me why it was called “The World,” I think we can connect the dots here.

But “Around the World” still hadn’t occurred to me. What is it? Well, it’s basically a dirt road that takes you from Highway 10, about 10 miles west of Mandan, to Highway 6, about 5 miles south of Mandan. Head west on Highway 10. When you reach County Road 83 at the top of a hill, take a left and off you go. Be careful, though. The road is narrow in places, windy with blind corners, and has some steep dropoffs too. Oncoming traffic is NOT easy to see in many parts of this road.

It seems like you’re on your way to the Black Hills, but it’s really not that far of a drive. You will know you’re on the right track when you pass this, the Sweet Briar school. Yes, I believe it’s still in use. It was in the 1980’s.

Follow the road for quite a while until it curves west. At this point it technically becomes County Road 138. At this point you’re Mandan bound again. There are several intersections, but don’t be tempted to turn on any of them or it could be a long day. If you see a sign indicating County Road 83 again, don’t take it. Stay on the road you’re on.

You’ll pass this abandoned farmstead. Every time I see one of these I have to stop and take a picture, even at night like this one. (The benefits of a good camera – shots in low light that look good.) This one was taken just after sunset on a cloudy evening, thus the color.

A short while later due east and ta da! — County Road 138 intersects Highway 6 right beside the Mandan Airport. You’ll see the rotating white/green beacon as you approach. Then just hop Highway 6 back into town, and you’re driven Around the World!

Cowards strike Sertoma Park

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During a recent walk along the path I made this discovery. Some real tough guys descended on Sertoma Park to prove themselves with a can of spray paint recently. In a daring feat of epic proportions, they painted the hidden side of a remote park building, probably not in broad daylight. It’s amazing to think of the courage it must have taken to commit such an act!

I am not proficient when it comes to reading “gangsta” but out of this I get a crown, an unintelligble character and “PS Krew.” Well, PS must stand for Pusillanimous* Spraypainters or something. In any case, what’s the point? You’ve painted it where nobody’s even gonna see it till Spring.


I think that if someone’s so insecure that they need to spray paint their name somewhere, they should have the sack to do it somewhere out in the open. What kind of chicken goes and paints places where they’re guaranteed not to be caught? Who’s the tough guy in that equation? Give me a break.

So, if you’re looking at tagging around Bismarck or Mandan, do us a favor. Show a little initiative and do it where there’s constant traffic. Take some risks…and pay the penalty when you’re caught. Otherwise, just huff the contents of your spray can and save us all the inconvenience. Cowards.

*pusillanimous = “contemptibly timid”

So long, Dakota Prime Time

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Tim Cook is no longer at KFYR-AM 550 Radio. It’s a shame, I really liked his local talk show in the evenings, but that’s the way it goes. I don’t know if it was due to ratings or something else, just that I’ll miss hearing the show and the guests. In an age of canned radio, KFYR stood out with a local talk show in the evenings. Maybe they’ll try to resurrect that format down the line, who knows?

I talked to a DJ friend of mine a short while ago, and she said it’s great that she can pre-record the bits where she talks between the songs, get her whole day recorded in a couple of hours, and be home giving her little kids a bath while she’s on the air. But how good is that for us, the listeners? What happens during severe weather or local emergency? Any radio station that does choose to do local stuff, and not pre-record their DJs into a computer and stuff ’em in a playlist, deserves our support. Otherwise all the local stuff will go the way of Dakota Prime Time. That will do area listeners a huge disservice.

For the record, KFYR’s not automated during primetime. I don’t know how things are operating these days in local radio, but when I left the broadcasting busines one person would oversee several stations. If we ever had an emergency such as the ammonia spill in Minot, there’s no way one guy could get the word out on all stations in a manner consistent with a broadcaster’s duty of public service.

KFYR-AM is still the state’s EAS (Emergency Alert System) leader from what I recall, which pretty much means they can never go fully automated. I suggest they use that to an advantage, and do something better than have a guy playing tired Eagles songs during primetime.