Welcome to Bismarck. Restrictions in effect. Only one catch: you have to guess what they are
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These branches don’t run
I would have presented a better view of this patriotic display, but I can’t. I was out and about with little 3-month-old Jonathan, who just couldn’t seem to fall asleep. He was crying until I hoisted him into the truck, then we two dudes drove around and watched Bismarck go by. I started reciting two of PJ’s favorite storybooks, since I’ve read them enough to have them memorized, and my mastery of the art of storytelling put him gradually to sleep. I was about to head home when I saw this tree.
I did have my little 3.1 megapixel backup camera with me, so I set the timer and held as steady as I could. It always kicks into “Slow Shutter” mode in low light, and it’s difficult to pull a non-streaked photo when in that mode. Fortunately it turned out okay. I tried to get a shot of it again the other night, and the big sign in front of it had blown over. It’s since been fixed, but some of the lights were out when I drove by on my way home Sunday night (probably damaged by the tip-over). Hopefully it’ll be restored soon, and you can swing by to see it as pictured above!
State “A” in the books
This is a LONG stretch for the guys on the NBC North Dakota TV crew. The Bismarck folks start off with bowling in February, then members of the team from over the state make treks to Grand Forks, Fargo, and Minot for state hockey and the three basketball weekends. That’s a lot of nights in hotel rooms, a lot of long work days, a lot of miles traveled, a lot of cables coiled. Oh, and a lot of Applebee’s every night. I was on a different crew this weekend, which means no free food for me. Darn.
The TV crew isn’t the group most inconvenienced by this, though. Back when the switch was made, in order to avoid a lawsuit from parents of volleyball girls if I remember correctly, it put a crunch on the smaller schools. Girls’ coaches would referee boys’ games and vice versa, because their seasons were not simultaneous. All of a sudden they were playing at the same time, putting a strain on the system. That also made gymnasium space harder to come by in some places as well. All to make a few kids and their parents happy. North Dakota had watched South Dakota fight a similar lawsuit until its resources dwindled and it finally settled. Now we have two Class B tournaments and the Super A each spring.
What…you mean you DON’T have your own fragrance?
What do they smell like? I couldn’t tell you right now; I’m still getting over the flu, so my nose as stuffed as a Democrat ballot box. I don’t recall the fragrance exactly, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t smell like me. That would never hit the market!
Ice, ice, baby
I have this crazy friend (okay, I have several, and they have me) who told me how cool it is to drive out on the ice of Lake Audubon. Not only is it a big lake, the ice is very thick, and there are islands to explore. Because boats are not allowed out there, the only way to get to these islands is to drive there during the winter. They’ve got beavers, coyotes, and who knows what else on them. I decided to take him up on the idea of a voyage out there. We didn’t see any critters, and the clear skies turned cloudy on us, but we did come upon a HUGE pressure ridge. Enormous slabs of ice had pushed straight upward in a line stretching almost completely across the big lake!
One of the things we really wanted to see was wildlife. Aside from a glimpse of a running coyote on the horizon, we saw nothing. Of course; the presence of a camera jinxed it, I’m sure.
This is a really cool trip if you have the opportunity, especially if the lake and the sky comply. In our case, we were fortunate in that the ice is incredibly thick and stable. The sky is pretty dynamic, of course, and I’m glad that it clouded up for us instead of the hard light of a clear, sunny sky. Despite the absence of critters, we call this trip a success…thanks to the sight of this giant ridge of broken ice.
Did you hear that? I did. I don’t like it.
Tonight while watching the news, I heard something that really stood out to me. KXMB was running coverage of the sentencing of 17-year old Jeff Brown Otter for a crime spree a while back. What caught my ear was not the report, but what I heard on the 911 recording. It was played for the court, and a portion of it aired during the KX report. The women who he carjacked had run to a nearby house and called 911, and during the call they exclaimed that it was “Indians” outside.
I’d just like to ask a quick question: if someone forces you to take them somewhere against your will, using a shotgun, and firing a shot in the air as they leave…what does their race matter?
Stating someone’s race to help identify the perpetrator of a crime is prudent, but the voice on that 911 recording sounded to me like they were especially traumatized that the person who had just fired a gun while stealing their car was of Native American descent.
The young man stated in court that he’s seen nothing but violence all his life, and I’m sure he’s not the only one in his situation. A person like that could be more prone to violence, I don’t know. But the voice on that recording didn’t know anything about Jeff Brown Otter, even who he was. He could have been from anywhere, not necessarily a South Dakota reservation. In other words, the voice on that recording didn’t cry out anything other than that there were “Indians out there.”
Obviously there’s no excuse or defense for the crime spree. I doubt that the women could help it if they were more scared of Native American criminals than anyone else. Stereotypes have a way of sticking around even on a subconscious level. I just heard the recording and thought it was noteworthy. It’s sad to report, but I’m pretty sure of what I heard.
This reminded me of the same sort of ear-catching moment I had in high school. Our speech, art, and drama students at Mandan High were getting together for a trip to Minneapolis. We were visiting lots of museums, seeing some plays and musicals, and doing some shopping. In a pre-trip meeting at the school, the issue of safety came up. One of the teachers related an example of a mugging incident in the downtown area. During the course of the story, I remember the phrase “and it was a black guy…” and was flabbergasted. First off, does it matter who mugs you? You still get mugged. Second, I was sitting next to my friend Andre, who happened to be the only black guy attending Mandan High. I couldn’t help but think…how did that make him feel? I was too embarrassed to ever mention it, but I never forgot it.
I have Native American friends who are doctors or other sorts of professionals. I have Native American friends and acquaintances that are some of the most selfless folks I’ve ever met. I can’t help but wonder what some people might think if they saw these people outside at night. Would they be scared? If so, would they even know why?
As my previous writing should show, I’m not a bleeding-heart multi-culturalist. I think “political correctness” is a farce. That’s probably a major reason why I’m a die-hard UND Fighting Sioux logo proponent. But I hate seeing people judged, stereotyped, or feared because of their skin color. In this situation, Jeff Brown Otter was a scary person. I just wish he hadn’t scared someone even more simply by being Native American. That’s what stuck in my mind after hearing that 911 recording tonight.
As always, feel free to comment…but remember, I moderate the comments. If there’s even a touch of racism in a submitted comment, it’ll never see the light of day. I allow comments that are critical of me or disagree with my opinions, as long as someone has the guts to sign their comment. But I don’t allow profanity or inappropriate language and I never will.
Switches of history
These switches once served a very important purpose: they switched the Provident Life Weather Beacon. See the little colored markings next to some of the switches? They were: 1-Red, 2-Flashing Red; 3-Green, 4-Flashing Green; and 5-White, 6-Flashing White. When on duty at the station, I used to update the Weather Beacon every few hours. A reminder showed up on the station’s program log at the appropriate times. I’d duck around the corner and push the corresponding button if a change was needed, the heavy action of the pushbutton switches confirming my action. Nowadays, the KFYR-AM staff have to rely on a telephone-based touchtone system, and get a confirmation tone that isn’t 100% foolproof. Gotta love that old-school hardwired technology!
I still freelance for the company that owns the North Dakota NBC stations, and still have my keys and electronic pass for the station. A while back I asked my friend and former co-worker (“Spiderman” is his nickname) if the switches still existed. He dug around in the aforementioned rack and found that yes, they’re still around…they just aren’t hooked to anything on the roof of the Provident Building any more. He invited me up to take a look. They were behind a panel, but we stood them up for these photos.
Yeah, I asked if I could have the switches. No such luck. Hopefully, now that someone at the station knows about them, they’ll find their way to a display case as a part of the station’s history. It would be a shame to have them disappear back into the racks again, or to be discarded by someone who doesn’t know what they are. I’m not worried; I think they’ll be in good hands. Spidey likes local history just as much as I do.
When frost obscures your view…take frost pictures
Rusty shovel
Yep…the barn indicator appears to be working
Some say a glass is half empty. Others say it’s half full. Those first fellas would say that the weather vane is droopy and probably not working right. I choose to join the second half and attribute a sort of charm to it, and instead label it the Barn Indicator. From the look of things, it’s pointing exactly where it needs to.