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Politics in Minnesota 8.27.07
PioPress: Why Did the 35W Bridge Fall down?
Strib: Who'll Stop the Rain?
Strib: Senate Candidates Debate
BemidjiPress: Transportation Hikes Likely
MarshallIndie: Thompson at State Fair
More Headlines: PIM Morning Report 8.27.07
20 Reader Comments
"In the span of five months, Minnesota has been hit with an extraordinary run of natural and man-made disasters . . . Overall, 20 people have died . . . It's enough to make even the most seasoned emergency responder shake her head in disbelief."
I don't want to minimize or downplay any hardship or pain or consequence suffered by people because of these horrible occurrences, but it strikes me that we live very safe, sheltered, protected lives when we can speak of "an extraordinary run of . . . disasters" and then add casually that twenty lives were lost.
According to an article in today's Strib, about one million people die every week (globally.) Context is important.
Yeah, twenty deaths is only like the murder records of David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz and Jeffrey Dahmer combined. Let's not blow it all out of proportion!
About 100 people died in the time it took you to type and post that. I hope you can deal with that guilt.
One can also look at the emotional toll a string of disasters can have. To have terrible, unforeseen calamities strike in suck quick succession can be tiring and depressing.
Sure, "only" 20 people have died between the bridge collapse and the flooding. But look at how many people have been affected by the bridge collapse, e.g. it doesn't take much of a six-degrees-of-separation to find someone who was killed or hurt or provided aid. (The son of one of my mother's neighbors was killed in the collapse. Three degrees, right there.) And the countless thousands who have had to change their daily routines -- for many months to come -- because an important part of the Twin Cities infrastructures now lies in the river.
It all adds up.
And speaking of bridges falling down, the South is rising again in the competition for America's biggest craphole.
And I think we all know that it all fell down (if I hear the word "collapse' again, someone dies) because of greed, ulterior motives, shit, bad equipment, or gross incompetence -- it's because we didn't cheer hard enough.
Just another "misunderstanding"
"Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a mens public restroom, according to an arrest report obtained by Roll Call Monday afternoon.
Craigs arrest occurred just after noon on June 11 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. On Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hennepin County District Court. He paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation with the court that began on Aug. 8."
Isn't an "anarchist meeting" an oxymoron?
No, but "anarchist chairperson" is.
Isn't an "anarchist meeting" an oxymoron?
As long as they have punch and pie and don't take roll call I don't think its a paradox.
I think you can have a chairperson, as long as he/she has to walk the plank.
This is only relevant to politics in Minnesota because of the location of the arrest, but Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) was apparently arrested in the MSP Airport for allegedly lewd conduct. Sorry for the link to a blog with a link to a story, but this is "developing" as that hack drudge would say.
mnblrmkr beat me to it by 20 minutes.
sorry
I hate myself for doing this. But I'd hate myself more for not doing it as it could hardly be any more relevant. But I'm all conflicted about it, and such like.
ARTHUR:
Then who is your lord?
WOMAN:
We don't have a lord.
ARTHUR:
What?
DENNIS:
I told you. We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week,...
ARTHUR:
Yes.
DENNIS:
...but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting...
ARTHUR:
Yes, I see.
DENNIS:
...by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs,...
ARTHUR:
Be quiet!
DENNIS:
...but by a two-thirds majority in the case of more major--
ARTHUR:
Be quiet! I order you to be quiet!
WOMAN:
Order, eh? Who does he think he is? Heh."
I feel so dirty.
"It all adds up."
No doubt. I wouldn't disagree with any of that. My point wasn't "so what," though. It was more a sort of "when a "disaster" hits China or India, reporting starts when the deaths hit about 20,000-25,000, but they make the "repeated disasters!" news here at 20" contextual statement about how . . . . cushioned? . . . life has become for us.
"I feel so dirty."
Don't. You've given me an implied permission, at least, to throw in "he's not dead yet" somewhere in the next few days, and so whatever crassness you think you've brought to our lives here today with this comment, just know that the promise of things to come brings you well into the positive.
(Of course, my assumption that "I feel so dirty" was a negative comment could well be considered to be . . . some sort of "ist" . . . . randyist? uninnocentist? . . . )
I can tell you why the bridge fall down on August 1st: we have too many spoil, snobbish, self-righteous, unsympathetic, emotionally-driven hacks known as state lawmakers that represent your local district. It's their fucking fault for not keeping focus on the main priories of the state over the last several years! Fuck them! Both political parties! I resist any more public spending money that goes to extended K-12 education programs, sports stadiums, LGA, Light Rail Transit, Tilt-A-Whirl state symbols, condoms for kids, smoking bans, potluck dinners, performing arts funding, public radio and TV, gas taxes, county bench programs, increase self-pay raises, and other non-important issues.
People in this state are total pricks for allowing this behavior to become rampant in public office! Hence, I am ashamed to be a Minnesotan right now.
imagine how ashamed Minnesota is of you!
Exactly what's wrong about Tilt-a-Whirl state symbols?
I mean, we're not barbarians.
The tilt-w-whirl symbols are all pictures of I35W. That's what's wrong with them.
"The tilt-w-whirl symbols are all pictures of I35W."
I . . . . uh, I mean . . . . ummm .. . . . Nope. I got nothing.
(I'm pretty sure Big G just wanted a chance to use "pricks" and "rampant" in the same line.)
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