Photography doesn’t end once the shutter is clicked, or even once the photos are processed. Any photo can be revisited and cropped, processed, colored, or even manipulated in countless ways. That’s part of the appeal for me. While I save the “manipulation” part for a select few photos, it is occasionally fun…as long as it’s used stylistically and not deceptively. Photoshop is easily as fun as photography itself.
The lesson I took away from this convention is that we are EXTREMELY energized. Seriously. The atmosphere was unmistakable. While the Democrats could barely get a small assembly to their convention with their beloved Bill Clinton as speaker, we had the Civic Center bursting at the seams. People were upbeat, energetic, and motivated for November. It was a great sight to behold, and I’m confident that North Dakota conservatives are geared up for a long and successful fight to restore liberty and responsibility to our government.
Later on when I bought my first camera and was looking for cool things around town to photograph, a vague recollection of something really cool on the wall of that building with the gold mirrored windows popped into my head. I drove by and examined the building from multiple angles, but sadly it was gone. I was sure I remembered it, but perhaps it had simply been removed? That would certainly be a shame…but in any case, it was no longer there.
A couple of weeks ago I went for a walkabout with a friend who worked in the Gold Seal Building back when it was leased by the MDU Resources Group. I mentioned that building and the etched stone artwork I thought I remembered, and he knew instantly what I was talking about. “That was moved out to the University of Mary,” he revealed. Joy! I knew then that I somehow had to find that slab of stone which had eluded me for so long.
A quick trip out to the ACC Art Show a couple of weekends ago gave me the opportunity to ask someone at the desk of the Harold Schafer Leadership Center if they knew what I was looking for. Naturally they did, and they led me to a concrete patio on the lower level of the building. Voila’ – here stands the stone I was seeking, looking boldly over the Missouri River to the west. Score!
I guess I can cross this one off my Bismarck-Mandan photographic “Bucket List” and move on to the next one. Thankfully this piece, commissioned by Harold Schafer himself, was preserved. It’s available for anyone on campus to see, but it’s in a location that isn’t readily obvious. The best way to find it is to wander the lawn to the west of the Tharaldson Business Center and saunter slowly southward toward the back of the Schafer center. Once you get to the right area you can’t miss it, unless of course you’re overwhelmed by the stunning view of the Briardale woods and Missouri River valley below.
If you haven’t visted the Wallbuilders website, you simply must do so. And even better is the daily half-hour Wallbuilders Live podcast. With a tagline like “The intersection of faith and politics” this show is enlightening and puts current issues in the context of the country’s founding documents and the faith of those responsible for them.
There was plenty of Q&A which ranged from current affairs and the upcoming elections to the original intent of the founders and some very interesting technical “nuts & bolts” about the Constitution (including some common misconceptions), the role of the courts, and the powers of the branches of the federal government. If this sounds like dry stuff to you, you’re mistaken.
I found out about this at the last minute or I’d have posted more about it earlier, giving people time to call New Song and RSVP to attend. The cost was $10 and pizza was provided (yum). The next time Rick comes to town, I’ll make sure to help New Song promote his visit and encourage you to come! In the mean time, check out Rick’s website and the Wallbuilders Live podcast.
In February of this year, the Bismarck City Commission offered $200,000 in what amount to “break-even guarantees” to Frontier Airlines, a low-cost air carrier, in order to lure them to Bismarck as an additional provider. The Bismarck Tribune reports that in addition to the $200,000 guarantee the airline has also been offered “$50,000 in free marketing of its services for one year and certain fees will be waived at the airport.” It reports that the incentives have been given to “other new air carriers.” (emphasis added)
Al Flaweigh, spokesman for United Airlines, put it plainly: “United Airlines has been faithfully providing air service without interruption to the Bismarck Airport for years. Now the city is going to foot the bill for our competitors to come in and inevitably take business away from United.
We struggle to make a profit in this area, and now the City of Bismarck has conspired to pay our competition to make it harder to do business here? We don’t need this. Rather than struggle to swim upstream against the flow of money from the City of Bismarck and the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber, we will simply devote our resources to a market that’s more friendly to open competition and won’t pay other airlines to lure away potential United customers.”
The issue is actually a constitutional one. According to constitutional scholar Reed DeLaw, Article X Section 18 of the state constitution is clear: “…neither the state nor any political subdivision thereof shall otherwise loan or give its credit or make donations to or in aid of any individual, association or corporation”. This apparently hasn’t presented an obstacle to the City of Bismarck, however.
A noteworthy analogy is the case of a “mom & pop” store in the Kirkwood Mall. Suppose that suddenly store owners Mom & Pop McGillicuddy open the Bismarck Tribune one day and find out that the City of Bismarck is going to promise Corporation X $200,000 in guarantees to move into the mall right next door to McGillicuddy’s, give them free advertising, and discount their rent and utilities. Suddenly, Mom and Pop not only have a new competitor in town, but their own tax dollars (and those of their family, friends, neighbors…) are being given to that very same competition.
DeLaw simplified it even further: “Should Ruby Tuesday’s invite Chili’s to build next door, help them do it, write them a check every month, and call it ‘economic development’? They could bypass the tax ‘middleman’ and do what the City Commission would already be requiring them to do indirectly.”
Ironically, Frontier Airlines pulled out of Fargo in 2010 after only two years of being “touted as a low-cost carrier that would bring down fares at Fargo’s Hector International Airport” (Associated Press, 2/5/10). Flaweigh surmised, “Once that happens in Bismarck, maybe the City of Bismarck will consider offering United a ‘break-even guarantee’ and some other concessions as they are currently offering our competitors. They can call it a ‘no-harm, no foul’ I suppose, or even an ‘April Fools‘ if you will.”
Read that last line again.
This stuff smells so AMAZING in the tank or after it exits your exhaust pipe, I’ve always described it as high speed perfume. Spendy, too – I got this drum from the factory Kawasaki team but I don’t know how to import it. I’m of the understanding that at the time it was about several times as expensive as pump gas or even the Turbo Blue race fuel I buy here in town at Racer Performance Center. I guess the local rabbits have distinguished noses!
As you can tell from the lush green foliage, this photo was from a couple of years ago and I just ran across it while looking for something else. I was able to get the can back in the garage before any little hasenpfeffers were able to huff or siphon it. Sadly, I no longer have need for race fuel, although I wouldn’t mind roadracing again someday… *sigh*
I’ll continue to roll out Northern Lights photos from time to time, but hopefully I’ll be able to acquire even more in the near future! We’re approaching the peak of the solar maximum, so I expect this to be a very interesting summer. With any luck we’ll have plenty of opportunities for photos like these!
Sadly, I don’t think my version of the AP logo has a chance. It would be a great example of truth in advertising, but for now I guess we’ll just have to let the AP’s words depict their agenda instead of a simple graphic representation.
We’re really thankful for this pleasant weather…a guy’s gotta roam, whether he’s four or forty. Now that we can do it without freezing little noses or other extremities, the possibilities are opening up quickly. Add to that the fact that our city isn’t battling a flood this time around, and we should be able to draw a stark contrast between this summer and “the summer that wasn’t” of last year.
I was distressed to find out that the Minot Air Force Base’s “Northern Neighbors Day” air show has been CANCELLED for this year – I’ve been looking forward to it since 2009 – but I’m determined to make this summer one for the record books anyway.
