Second calling
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Help wanted: Somebody “bale” me out!
Traveling the back roads is quite entertaining, however. I appreciate when I run into things like this, where someone has taken the time to provide a laugh for passers-by. Of course, on a road as remote as this, I doubt many people would get to see it (aside from the new hunting arrivals). That’s why I’m pleased to be able to share it with you.
Meet the new Lieutenant Governor of the great state of North Dakota
I see the newspapers are all using stock photos (or none at all) for this story. I sent one to Rob at the Say Anything Blog along with the news of Wrigley’s selection just before the announcement was officially made. I guess that chalks one up for us crazy bloggers! Not that we’re keeping score…
Let the Day Begin
Here’s to the babies in a brand new world,
Here’s to the beauty of the stars…
Here’s to the travelers of the open road,
Here’s to the dreamers and the bards…
Here’s to the soldiers on the desert dunes,
Here’s to the farmers in the fields…
Here’s to the preachers of the sacred Word,
Here’s to the loving God who heals…
Here’s to you, my little loves, with blessing from above, now let the Day begin.
Just sharing a friendly good morning with you and the windmill perched near Farmer’s Livestock southeast of Bismarck and some lyrics modified from one of my favorite songs by The Call.
I started this blog as a photo diary of a guy who loves Bismarck-Mandan and North Dakota in general. It shall remain exactly that. Desperate times call for desperate measures, they say, and we certainly are in those. I won’t rule out a political post from time to time, especially with a lame duck session of Congress to deal with yet. A Republican sweep in North Dakota makes things much more optimistic here at home, but let’s not forget that we’re in very pivotal times for our country. I may periodically comment on things as a result. Regardless, I intend for things to return to “business as usual” here at the ol’ Blog.
Get out and vote! No, I’m not promising pizza, gas cards, or a free TV like the Democrats
Get. Out. And. Vote. Can’t make it any more plain than that. It’s time to take the first step in setting things right in our government. Here are a couple of quick resources to help you out:
Here’s a link to several maps showing you which legislative district you’re in: LINK
Here’s a link to find out where your polling place is so you can cast your vote: LINK
The link above is part of the Secretary of State’s VIP (Voter Information Portal): LINK
Oh yeah…about the free TV thing. Plains Daily and Say Anything are reporting that the Spirit Lake Tribe was caught offering gas cards to people for transporting people to the polls. The person who hauled the most would receive a flat screen TV. THIS IS ILLEGAL. Here’s the law (PDF).
This is the same law Earl Pomeroy’s cronies violated up at UND, using a Student Government van to transport college students to the polls and providing them pizza. UND’s legal counsel put a stop to that one right quick.
Get out and vote! If you see anything irregular, like someone bringing in vans of mentally disabled people and filling out their ballots for them, MAKE IT KNOWN. Take photos. Shoot video. Provide it to the Secretary of State’s Office IMMEDIATELY. Get it on YouTube, get it online. Make it public.
Let’s not allow North Dakota to become another Minnesota, where ballots are suddenly found at the last minute, waiting to give a liberal Democrat the victory. Don’t think the Democrats won’t do it if they think they can get away with it. I’ve just shown two examples of how they’re already trying.
Let’s settle this the old fashioned way: by overwhelming them at the polls! Vote, tell your friends to vote, tell your family to vote. See you tomorrow.
Earl Pomeroy and Social Security Privatization (and whining)
I don’t watch much TV, but even the little bit I do watch made me sick of Earl Pomeroy’s claims of Rick Berg wanting to “privatize Social Security.” Especially since it’s Pomeroy that wanted to do an even riskier thing back in the late 1990s!
I’m not the only one – RJ over at RegularGuyRant.com as done some great work in compiling news articles about Mr. Pomeroy’s history with Social Security privatization. It paints an entirely different picture than what our hapless Congressman would have you believe.
Watch the video, then enjoy the link to the Regular Guy Rant for all the supporting documentation.
Were Earl Pomeroy and Dem-NPL Party attempting to illegally buy college votes with pizza?
If you’re politically minded, and these days we ALL should be, you need to regularly visit RJ’s Regular Guy Rant blog site. Yesterday he posted information about two events in Grand Forks, one of Earl Pomeroy’s last liberal strongholds. A flyer from one of them is shown in the photo above. Note the new Dem-NPL “Obama-ish” logo at the top, indicating that this event has to do with the Democrat Party.
PlainsDaily.com, a news website which you should also visit regularly, started to do some investigating. In addition to the possibility of vote-buying with pizza, these events appeared to be using college resources to give students a ride to the polling place. This is specifically illegal (read the PDF). Adding to the controversy is the fact that UND Student Government vans were apparently used. Is this appropriate use of state government property, since those are likely state vehicles owned by UND?
UND apparently agrees, because their General Counsel has put a stop to the program. According to the Plains Daily article, “That program has been canceled because UND General Legal Counsel has determined that the program violated the North Dakota Century Code section 16.1-10-06.1.”
The best quote of the whole debacle comes from RJ’s post: “Anyway, one of my friends at the college told me that the rally generated ten voters and at least one of them just rode the bus so he could vote against Earl.”
Personally, I think this sort of thing needs to be investigated to see exactly which laws were broken and who’s responsible. If the Dem-NPL Party organized a voting drive in which they were buying votes with pizza and providing free transportation in violation of state law, then they need to be dealt with punitively. But, since it’s Democrats, the whole thing will probably receive “ho-hum” treatment from the ND media and simply vanish.
The big question is: will all the hijinks make a difference in Earl Pomeroy’s struggle to remain a Washington insider Democrat lapdog? My gut says no. In the mean time, if you hear about a similar event taking place, make it known. It’s illegal, and they’re Democrats. The two go hand in hand.
The most popular doors in Bismarck (and yes, they ARE unlocked)
If not, you may be wondering why I think so. Simple: this is probably the single most frequently used setting for portrait photography in all of Bismarck-Mandan! Sit out on the lawn some Saturday and have a picnic, and you’ll likely see numerous wedding parties come and go to have their photos taken on the steps in front of these doors. You may also see family or senior portraits taken directly in front of them. They’re rather noteworthy, and as such make a great photo background.
I have several friends who are portrait photographers, and they get a lot of demand for this location. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s a great setting for your special photos! I just find it noteworthy and mildly amusing to watch the groups come and go as they take their turn in front of a popular local landmark.
I usually enter the library by the circulation desk downstairs, but from now on, I’m going to make it a point to enter through these big, well-known doors!
I’ve found your new septic service
As we send Byron Dorgan packing due to his surrender and look forward to converting Earl Pomeroy to civilian status at the ballot box in two and a half weeks a week and a half, we’re going to need a legislative pumper truck to evacuate much of the damage they’ve caused or in which they’ve had a hand. See, this truck is good for so many metaphors when it comes to Washington, DC!
Rusty
