Monthly Archives: July 2006

Peaceniks on the march in Bismarck…using someone else’s boots

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I didn’t even realize this nonsense was coming to Bismarck. Today I was videotaping with the governor and I noticed that there was a press conference in the Great Hall of the state capitol building. It was some guy from Chicago who’s bringing all kinds of boots to stack out on the law in the capitol mall, hoping to bring attention to the human cost of the war. It was liberalism on display; they had a little feel-good session, the TV cameras rolled, then they all sat around for a half hour patting themselves on the back for all they’ve done. Yep, liberalism. Makes ’em feel good, accomplishes jack squat.

I came by the capitol later this evening to have a look and perhaps ask a few questions. They had boots for each National Guard soldier killed so far in the war on terrorism.

There were rows of soldiers’ boots, with name tags, then a little circle of civilian casualties…women’s and children’s shoes were in that area. One of the people running the event mentioned the number 150,000 in reference to civilians killed over there. “Documented?” I asked? She said no, that she really doesn’t know how many…but it must be a lot. I pointed out that the shoes of people that Saddam Hussein killed would fill the mall, but I don’t think that was the point of this “art,” as they called it.

There was a little tent set up with CD’s, buttons, etc…you know, that stuff that solves all the world’s problems without a shot being fired. Wear a button – make a difference! To whom, exactly, that hasn’t been proven…but it might make you feel good. Don’t forget a magnet or sticker for your Prius.

They were handing out fliers as well, with links to a bunch of peaceful, tolerant, level-headed leftist organizations…

For instance: Iraq Veterans against the War, who marched this spring for:
* No more never-ending oil wars!
* Protect our civil liberties & immigrant rights. End illegal spying, government corruption and the subversion of our democracy.
* Rebuild our communities, starting with the Gulf Coast. Stop corporate subsidies and tax cuts for the wealthy while ignoring our basic needs.
* Act quickly to address the climate crisis and the accelerating destruction of our environment.

Uh huh. Typical leftist talking points: class envy, Big Oil, and global warming. Oh, and demanding that illegal aliens get to vote and change the course of this country.

Or there’s Code Pink, whose website claims:
“The oppressive hand of the Bush administration is reaching women all over the world. In Iraq, women are dealing with increasing violence aimed at them by different groups jockeying for power. The new Iraqi constitution is being drafted under the eye of American occupiers, yet nothing is being done to protect women’s rights and freedoms.”

Women are enjoying unprecedented freedoms in parts of the Middle East thanks to what we’re doing. Of course, for the left, you can’t talk about “women’s rights and freedoms” without their right to murder unborn children falling into that description.

Or Gold Star Families for Peace, followers of the insane Cindy Sheehan:
“This war is a war crime, and our soldiers trying to survive are committing war crimes. We need to bring our troops home. We need to do everything we can to save our soldiers and to save the people of Iraq from our George III.”
I used to feel sorry for that wackbag. Maybe she really is just sick. But she’s a useful idiot for the enemies of this country, as are the rest of the above.

I had a nice chat with Karen Van Fossan of the ND Peace Coalition for a few minutes and videotaped the conversation. If I get it encoded among all the other stuff I’ve got going on, I’ll post it here. It wasn’t confrontational or anything…we just shared a pleasant discourse and parted ways politely. I did ask why, among the organizations whose links she posted, I didn’t see the Patriot Guard riders, she just said that it would be a good organization to list. I asked why there were no shoes for the 3000+ victims of the second World Trade Center attacks, or the first one in 1993, or perhaps something in remembrance of the people beheaded by Muslims overseas, and I didn’t really get a solid answer. The answer is because that doesn’t fit the agenda. You see, while they won’t come out and state it here in good ol’ Red State, USA, the idea behind this sort of “art” is that the United States is responsible for everything bad happening in the world. The rest of the world gets a pass.

I also asked her why the ND Peace Coalition would associate itself with organizations who state that “George Bush is the world’s biggest terrorist” or accuse our troups of being war criminals, and she didn’t have a solid answer for me there either. It’s been said that you can tell a lot about people by the company they keep. I think the same applies to the ND Peace Coalition, especially since one of their tolerant and inclusive members flipped off our church group last week. The North Dakota people weren’t acting like hate-filled loonies like the people whose links appear on the fliers, but yet they did put links to those organizations on the paper.

I don’t think these protesters (oops, they’re calling this “art,” not a protest) are bad people…Karen, for instance, was quite pleasant to talk to. They’re just horribly misguided. I dare say that if they tried to take this little circus on display in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, or any other country with dominant Muslim rule, it would be THEIR heads that roll next. And that’s the truth that these people are not equipped to face.

Sunday night sunset

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After a fun few rounds of volleyball with the kids from our church, my wife and I were able to bolt out to the University of Mary while this sunset was still blazing. The wispy clouds had some neat curls to them tonight. I still say we have some of the best sunsets anywhere; when I lived in the rockies, it was hard to actually see the sunset…the mountains were too tall and were about 50 feet from my back window! There’s a lot to be said for those rollin’ plains…

May’s Camera: 1967 to 2006

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It’s official: May’s Camera is gone. After a run of nearly 40 years, they recently closed their doors, adding yet another blank storefront to the plagued downtown area of Bismarck. It’s always sad to see the closure of a homegrown business with a long legacy…but, that said, I had only been in May’s four or five times. Ever. I wonder how many Bismarck shoppers ever gave them a try?

In a recent Bismarck Tribune article, the demise was attributed to “the digital revolution and the opening of several discount retailers” — I think the Internet is implied. I’d have to disagree there.

First off, the digital revolution should have been a Godsend for any camera shop. For instance: I wanted to get into photography for years. I even sold high-end cameras in the 1980’s on the side while working for KBMY-TV 17 for a while, but never had the disposable income to take on yet another hobby with film and processing costs. It took me 20 years to get an SLR camera; I finally did, now that many of them are digital. I first purchased a simple little digital camera when they got into the $300 range, but digital is the reason I finally shoveled a few grand into a NICE camera and lenses, flashes, and other accessories. I bet a lot of photography customers fit my exact description…buying a low end digital camera, finding they like it, and moving up to the high-end gear. So when someone claims that digital photography is part of their downfall, I think they just plain missed the boat.

Second, the “discount retailers.” A family business should have every advantage over a Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or even an Internet retailer. If you go to any of those three, you’re likely to deal with some guy who 1) has minimal training in the product, and 2) has no incentive for you to be happy or angry with your experience. A guy whose next meal depends on whether people leave his store satisfied should be the guy who makes you feel confident in spending your money with him. He’s the guy who should be declaring his expertise and ties to the community on radio, TV, and in print.

Third, most camera equipment is sold at the same price (aside from some promotional sales) no matter where you go. The reason for that is that the manufacturers know the importance of their dealer network and want to protect them. When I wanted to buy my Canon 20D, for example, I compared the Bob’s Photo price to the Internet to see how good the Bob’s price was. Plenty of dealers claimed to have the same camera for $500 cheaper than Bob’s Photo…but when I said, “I want the Canon kit with the Canon battery and charger, Canon lens, strap, software, and cable,” they all said they couldn’t match the price I got from Bob’s. That’s even before adding the $100 insured shipping on a $1600 camera. On some lenses and things they could beat the local price, but not on the camera. Some lenses I’ve bought online because the price difference was so significant, but I spend my money locally whenever I can…even if it costs me a bit more.

Let’s continue with Bob’s Photo as an example. They do a ton of digital photography sales, probably a lot to guys like me who know they’re a better deal than the Internet and/or want to support a local dealer. The “digital revolution” does not appear to have hurt them. They have several ImageStation and other kiosk-type computer systems set up around the store and are ready to do digital prints to photo paper in sizes as large as 20 inches by 30 inches (and they look great). They have the amateur photo contest every year to help get people interested, and they advertise locally.

Bob’s also took the Internet by the horns. They offer free and paid subscriptions to their website, where customers can set up photo albums for others to see and order prints of their photos without ever having to run up to the store and order them through the kiosk. You can upload your images and order your photos in your pajamas, then pick them up at your leisure – only one trip necessary. The Internet doesn’t just benefit warehouse dealers in who-knows-where.

The local businesses that survive the Wal-Marts and the Internet shopping trends are the ones that employ pure capitalism: offer the best service at a comparable price, and beat the big guys by sticking to what you do best. Local shoppers are looking for a reason to spend their money locally; if they like the reasons you provide, they won’t mind spending a little extra money…then we all benefit locally.

I didn’t really address the hobby-shop portion of the business; in that respect, I’ve got to point out that it’s nearly impossible to compete with Wheels, Wings & Hobbies out on the strip in Mandan. Jeff knows his stuff like nobody’s business, he keeps a ton of inventory on hand (including all those parts I tend to break), and has two big racetracks on site – one indoors for electric cars, and one big dirt track out back for the monster trucks. You want to talk about a guy who need not fear the Internet, I think Jeff’s that guy. I’ve bought two nitro burning RC trucks from him so far, and rely on his expertise in customizing them. Again, he fits into the strategy I mentioned before: be so darn good at what you do that nobody wants to go elsewhere. I bet it works every time it’s tried.

Think you really stand for something? Okay, go stand for it on a street corner

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No, these aren’t protestors…just people carrying out the Great Commission. For an hour on Thursday night, members of the Open Door Baptist Church answered the challenge in this post’s headline, holding up Bible verse signs and quoting scriptures at State Street and Capitol Avenue.

I’m surprised to say that there was a ton of positive response: people waving, words of support, friendly smiles. I’d never been present on one of these events before, so I simply expected the worst. It was a neat experience. First was a round of singing, pictured above, then people split into groups in the corner of the intersection. The guys took turns belting out their favorite Bible verses while the kids held up signs.

Yes, the church did have a meeting permit from the city, and no, this is nothing like certain wackos you may have read about in the papers a short while ago. This is a Bismarck church, a legitimate Christian one, just putting out the word: You must be born again. That’s a term I thought was just feel-good nonsense before I became a Christian… then I realized that Jesus himself coined that term in John 3:3 and 3:7.

So it was an uplifting evening. Some people walking by took some gospel literature, we got to sing, and it was a really positive experience. Like I said, we got lots of honks and waves. The only person to flip us the finger had a North Dakota Peace Coalition bumper sticker on his truck…I guess that helps clarify the liberal position on God.

Most people have no problem getting up and cheering or telling the world about their favorite football team or NASCAR racer. They’ve got t-shirts, hats, stickers, sleeping bags, the works, all emblazoned with logos. But if you put a Bible verse on any of those articles, people tend to take a step back and calling you names. Have you ever pondered why that might be?

Urban Harvest returns to Bismarck next week

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That’s right! Every Thursday from July 13th through August 31st will bring a day of fun in the sun, activities, vendors, and music. The City of Bismarck closes off 4th Street between Thayer and Broadway (between KFYR-TV and Wells Fargo) and allow people to set up booths and displays. There’s an area on the corner for musical acts to perform, and I see that the Shade Tree Players are scheduled to perform as well. Last year the East 40 was there and so was the Walrus, making kabobs. Try to schedule a long lunch break on Thursdays and head over to the Urban Harvest!

Aha…they DO still have some signs

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This is what should be posted at every site where chip-seal gravel is applied to the road. Like I’ve posted before recently, this stuff is like marbles to a motorcycle. So far I’ve noticed at least two corners where no signs exist, but on brightly lit areas of straight road there’s a sign. It makes no sense.

First off, I think chip-sealing a road is a dubious attempt at street maintenance. Second, the city doesn’t want to spend the money to do it right; if they were to apply the tar, then the gravel, and compact it with a roller or something, then they could quickly sweep up the excess and have a finished job. But they’re too cheap to do so, relying instead on vehicle traffic to compact the gravel into the tar layer.

The problem with that is they have to spread it so deep because car tires throw the gravel to the side instead of compacting it. The deeper they spread this stuff, the more hazardous it is. They should either do the job properly or, as I prefer, not at all.

Independence Day at the Capitol

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I’m on my lunch break, so I figured it would be time to post the fireworks fotos from last night at the Capitol. Some people prefer to go to the vicinity of the rodeo grounds in Mandan and have a tailgate party, while others prefer to attend the Symphony performance on the steps of the capitol building. We attend the latter. The Symphony performed some original material tonight, as well as some old favorites and Independence Day staples.

The are around the capitol was busy, but not as packed as the Capitol Mall itself. The grounds were closed to vehicle traffic and the crowd was of a good size. It didn’t compare to the 1989 celebration of the state’s centennial, but nothing really could. We were fortunate to get a spot up near the steps.

Nobody knew until the last minute whether the fireworks would be allowed to proceed, but thankfully they were given the green light. The parking lot east of the Highway Department building had a bunch of Fire Department officials parked there in their Suburbans, having a meeting of the minds to determine whether the risk outweighed the rewards. The breeze from earlier in the day subsided, they had hosed down the grass surrounding the fireworks staging area, and we got a really nice show.

I filled three 1-gigabyte cards with fireworks, and haven’t had a chance to find “the” photo of the evening. They’re all pretty good…they put on a heck of a show for us! I like the added touch that they always use the windows of the capitol building to display things such as the year on New Year’s Day, or “4th” for Independence Day.

Lunch break’s over…back to work! Hope you enjoy the photos and were able to partake in last night’s activities for yourself.

Not with a bang…but with a whimper

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Not that I’m a huge T.S. Eliot fan, but one ought to make a literary reference whenever the opportunity presents itself. This picture pretty much shows the state of fireworks stands in the B-M area this year; a multi-county burn ban took the wind out of their sales almost as soon as the first tent stakes had been pounded.

I know a couple of guys who ran fireworks stands this year. The only real business they had was from people who were on their way to Detroit Lakes for the big events there, or headed to other parts where fireworks were still legal. Most of these guys are entrepreneurs, and this is going to hit them pretty hard.

Even the big fireworks at the State Capitol and the Mandan Rodeo were in jeopardy this year; there were several cars and trucks of fire department staff parked in a huddle on the east side of the Capitol last night, as marshalls and chieftans weighed the decision of whether or not to go on with the big show. Only at the very last minute was approval given to launch the display…the possibility of a strong breeze exceeding 15mph had them worried about the danger. Well before the show, the grassy area to the east of the Highway Department and Capitol buildings was hosed down, especially around all the launchers. Fortunately the breeze died down and we were able to go on with the show.

A freedom we take for granted

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Despite the best efforts of modern-day “liberals” (or “progressives” or whatever other branding they apply to themselves), we will always be a country that was formed on Christian principles. The quote above is from our second President, written after he signed the Declaration of Independence. It’s amazing to go through old writings of our founding fathers and find that that yes, without a doubt, this is a nation with a Christian heritage. It doesn’t matter how hard people try to deny it.

That’s why our country is so blessed. That’s why we have such hope, such energy, and such prosperity. It was made evident to me in the presentations given by a bunch of the young ladies in our church who joined a missionary organization on a trip to Poland a couple of weeks ago.

This man (above) became a Christian while in a concentration camp at Auschwitz. He survived and prayed for sixty years that someone would come to his home city in Poland, bearing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This year, they came. During their week or so stay, over a hundred thousand copies of John & Romans were handed out, and people were invited to a meeting at the end of the week.

The missionaries, and participants from around the US who had joined them, didn’t know what kind of a response they’d get. Decades of communism kills the spirit of the people; they aren’t like we are here. Tough soil to plow, I guess. But when the night came for the meeting, the auditorium they’d rented was filled to capacity! When the attendees had the opportunity to get a free Bible at the end of the meeting, it was nearly chaos. They were so excited, and so accustomed to having to press the lines to get anything, that they rushed the tables. Everyone got their Bible.

The picture above brings tears to my eyes every time. Despite his age, this man is holding his first Bible. He had never had a Bible before, and he’s kissing the one he just got. Shouldn’t God’s word be that precious to all of us? We’ve got it so good here in America that we lose sight of what we have.

I’ve got my study Bible, one in my truck, one in the trunk of my motorcycle…and I don’t read them nearly enough. Jesus said, “to whom much is given, much is required.” I haven’t lived up to that lately. What it takes is to see what it’s like to have lived one’s entire life without that gift. To see this man’s joy in finally getting a Bible, in his language at that, is very convicting.

We live in a country where we don’t get arrested for having a Bible. If we don’t have the five measly bucks to get one at Wal-Mart, someone will give you one. They’re in the dresser drawers at hotels. Maybe that’s why we don’t spend much time with our nose in that book. Take a few seconds to put yourself in the shoes of these people, who were desperate at the thought that they might not get a Bible that night. Then thank God that you live in a country that was founded on the faith in God, who provides all the many freedoms and blessings our country enjoys today.

Mandan’s annual July 4th / Rodeo Days parade

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Today was the annual parade in Mandan, and our cameras (both of them) were there. This is a huge event for Mandan — its biggest — and I bet they wish that they could have people streaming over from Bismarck in these numbers all the time!

The crowd was huge. I did the usual “show up 20 mins early and sit on the east end” routine. It’s the fastest way in and out of town. Simply park over by Bonanza, walk a little ways, and catch the parade participants as they make the turn onto Main Street.

Of course, we started with the honor guard. It was great to see that a lot of the crowd actually had an idea about flag ettiquette; removing hats, that sort of thing. I always think of a picture I saw from a parade one time…the color guard was going past with the flags, and the ONLY one standing at attention was an old man in a wheelchair, who still managed to stand for his country’s flag. That’s deplorable…we should all display a sense of honor, duty, and patriotism when those colors fly.

Naturally, all the kids were lined up for the candy. All the spectators were so enthusiastic that the police had to keep reminding them to stand back. This was especially imporant around the corner; a lot of the equipment has difficulty turning in a confined space like that.

Of course, there were lots of people handing out candy as well. Many just threw the candy down and let the kids dive for it. This girl preferred the one-on-one approach.

Here are the heroes of the parade. Whenever a group of soldiers would go by, the crowd clapped, cheered, yelled “Thank you!” and waved their appreciation. There was a group in the parade marching to honor our fallen soldiers as well.

These are the unsung heroes of any parade; the people who follow the horses. It’s not a pretty job, but someone has to do it. Things could get pretty ugly (and fragrant) if these guys weren’t volunteering to swing a shovel!

There was a martial arts display as well. I used to take part in this one, it’s a blast. Throwing someone around on a trailer like that is a blast…one can really piledrive an adversary into the mat and the springs on the trailer take up all the impact!

Some of the BNSF guys were able to stop for a little bit and take in the parade as well. This train had a lot of loaded coal cars on it and there were apparently some cars being removed on the other end, so these guys got to see part of the parade.

Redefining the meaning of the term “Service Charge” — and its limits — for over 150 years!

This was a great time and the weather was beautiful. Although it was in the low 90s today, it didn’t feel that way. There were some neat floats, but for the most part it seemed it was vehicles with advertising stuck on them. I’d hoped for more homemade floats. There were a bunch, though; for instance, Leingang Siding & Windows had one in the shape of a big cake celebrating Morton County’s 125th. Savvy skate & snow shop had a neat display too, and an army of skaters performing along the way. Earl Pomeroy was there, hoping nobody remembered that he voted NO on a bill in the US House declaring “that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.” Governor Hoeven, on the other hand, was walking with North Dakota soldiers. You’re not fooling anyone, Earl.

Time went pretty quickly…it’s not that hard to spend a couple hours out in the sun when there’s such a sense of community in the air. One thing you can count on with Mandan’s annual parade, thousands of people will show up in unity and celebrate our nation. It sure was a great day to be an American!