Minnesota
gregladen | November 22, 2012After hundreds of studies, it has been difficult to link fish predation by cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) to the reduction of fishing quality in Minnesota lakes. It appears that game fish such as walleye and northern pike make up from less than 1% to nearly 3% of the bird's diet. They eat only small fish. Many of the fish they eat are perch, which prey on walleye, and it is even possible that by culling small walleye or northerns, they increase the growth rate for those fish in two way. One is by reducing competition between fish for food, and the other is by exerting selective pressure…
gregladen | June 22, 2012Tip 1: Get some corn-on-the-cob and a large pot for which you have a tight fitting top. Husk the corn while you boil a large amount of water in the pot (salted if you like, for flavor). Put the corn-on-the-cob in the water and leave the heat on only for a minute, put the top on and turn off the heat. Since there is no more boiling the corn will not likely overcook. In ten minutes or so it will be ready, but it will sit there in the hot water for a long time (did you remember to keep the to on?) as long as you keep the top on.
Variation: If you have a smallish pot, microwave the corn for a…
gregladen | May 4, 2012Here in Minnesota, and in surrounding states, there is some real tension between Native and Immigrant communities. The poorest, most drug-ridden, down trodden and repressed communities here are often Native, and conveniently these communities tend to be (but not always are) located far away from urban areas or other places with a lot of white eyes. Health in Native communities is of major concern to the usual institutions and people that are concerned with such things.
Indians make White people nervous. White people are either worried that the Indian has kooties, or are criminals or…
gregladen | April 30, 2012Yes. But don't assume you know a stupid person when you see one.
Our governor just vetoed a bill passed by our Pointy Headed Republican Legislature which would have significantly reduced regulation on dangerous fireworks in the state, allowing everyone access to explosives that are currently banned.
Which reminds me of a story.
When I first moved to the Twin Cities, I was told by people at the University that there was only one Saint Paul neighborhood to live in. All other neighborhoods were inadequate. The same exact people who told me that then later said things that confirmed that…
gregladen | October 6, 2011Look at this map, of a small part of the state of Minnesota:
See the wide channel that runs from left to right with the windy river in it? You are looking at one of the most amazing stories in geological history ever. I'd like to tell you about it.
When not in flood, the meandering river is little more than a slow moving stream in a wide marsh, with thickets and stands of pioneer trees dispersed among reeds and pools of open water. Largely bypassed by farm, rural and urban development, it is in this channel that the state's rare cougars live, and where some of the best birding in the…
gregladen | May 1, 2011Good morning. Today is "Mayday Day" in Minneapolis. Mayday is a holiday widely celebrated by the community of South Minneapolis. People from North, Northeast and Southeast are welcome, but I'm not sure they know about it. People from "soutwest" Minneapolis ARE from South Minneapolis and they need to learn that using the term "Soutwest Minneapolis" is elitist and exclusionary, which is not the way of the culture of South. No, not at all.
Typically, you won't hear about Mayday in the news because mainstream entities such as news agencies don't quite know what to do with it. Thousands of…
gregladen | January 31, 2011... if you live in the Red River or Minnesota River basins near anything that looks like water.
This morning, I heard a TV weather forecaster, speaking of the potential flooding in the Red River Valley in Minnesota/North Dakota. He said of this possibility, "Flooding is not a certainty." But he's wrong. It is a certainty. This raises issues related to your flood insurance if you live in the vicinity, to questions of long term human land use planning in the region and generally, and of the skeptic's approach to life. And, this discussion applies not just to the Red River but to its…
gregladen | January 13, 2011So, Lizzie1 and I drove up to the restaurant in downtown Minneapolis and spotted the Valet Parking sign. I wanted to valet park because downtown, we'd have to park in a ramp2 anyway, so the cost would be the same or less, and much more convenient and comfortable on this slightly chilly winter night. Plus some kid would get a tip; Some kid saving for college or whatever.
And as we got closer, we saw that the Valet Parking sign had a big arrow on it pointing down the street. So we drove slowly down the busy downtown street, looking for somebody or something resembling a valet. Then, we…
gregladen | January 2, 2011But that isn't always how it goes.
On today's radio show, Steve Borsch was talking about the way in which social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is playing out -- as an extension of social interaction more than as a new form of shopping mall or marketing environment -- and an observation I made a couple of weeks ago during the Vikings game congealed like mucus in the back of your throat when you are getting over a cold (See Pandemonium Looms in Minneapolis). So, since I have a blog, I thought I'd hack it up for you.
Chris Kluwe is the beloved kicker for the Vikings. I don't really…
gregladen | December 19, 2010The Minnesota Vikings will not be in the playoffs this year, but the team has nonetheless become interesting, possibly more interesting than if they were still in the running.
For one thing, Ziggy fired the coach and one of the under-coaches has taken over, and it is interesting to see how he handles his new job. Very well, it would seem. Also, Brett Favre closed out his "Ironman" streak of never missing a game in ... several decades? Whatever, a very long time, owing to an actual life threatening injury. The injury will be managed, but both surgery and getting beat up on the field…
gregladen | November 25, 2010Tom Hackbarth is from Cedar, Minnesota and is a veteran member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The district he represents is just north of where I live (I'm near 113th and the southern border of Hackbarth's district is 181st) and overlaps with Michele Bachmann's congressional district. Hackbarth is a Republican and has been re-elected to represent this district a number of times. With the Republicans taking over the Minnesota house this year, he is the new chair of the Environment and Natural resources Committee. And, when asked by reporters from our local TV station what he was…
gregladen | August 26, 2010I've become very interested in Minnesota history, and by interested I mean annoyed in many cases. The first thing white Minnesotans did was to exploit the Indians. The second thing they did was to throw the Indians out, move them to reservations, kill them, and otherwise treat them very poorly. Meanwhile, they got going on the process of cutting down 90 percent of the trees in the state. Even New York State, where I grew up, did not have such wanton destruction of the forests, and Whitie had two hundred more years to do it there. They also killed off most of the wolves. Oh, and both…
gregladen | August 20, 2010This is the most challenging time of year for duck watching. But it may be easier than one thinks to bump into a wolf in the forest.
We've been exploring the western side of the north-central part of the state, in and around Itasca as far west at Tamarack Wildlife Refuge, where we saw several fine herds of tamarack clustered in the usual low flat areas they prefer.
Duck watching this time of year is very hard. In the beginning of the season the males are in full bloom. Females found near males are almost always of the same species. (Unless the male is a mallard. They do not…
gregladen | July 31, 2010When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time at lakes, but the idea of walking around a lake hardly every occurred to me or anyone else. This might be because the lakes were either really big (like the Great Sacandaga Reservoir) or nestled into deep sided rock canyons carved out by glaciers, and thus, not walk-aroundable. Lakes were central places, termini of inland pathways, points along long distance hikes, not things you walked around.
Eventually, I moved to Minnesota where there are probably between five and ten thousand lakes that a) are about the right size to walk around in several…
gregladen | July 27, 2010If the restaurant was being forced closed by the city making dumb tax-related decisions and the public works department acting almost vindictively against a certain neighborhood, as was the case when JP's closed, I'd be pissed. If it was a restaurant that was really trying to do well but failed because of the economy or because people did not appreciate it, I'd be unhappy. If it was a restaurant that served as the only anchor in a neighborhood at an uncertain tipping point, I'd be concerned. But none of those things are true.
This is the restaurant where a small handful of friendships formed…
gregladen | July 18, 2010Where I grew up, lakes were important. We would spend considerable time driving to them, and once there, camp next to them for a couple of weeks. Every now and then we'd go and camp next to the really really big lake. The one with England on the other side, or so my brother would tell me. All the lakes had these big chairs along the swimming areas that lifeguards sat in. The really really big lake had extra tall chairs. I remember thinking that they could probably see England from up there!
But despite the importance of lakes in our recreational regime, lakes were actually fairly…
gregladen | June 26, 2010It is hard to prove, but the evidence certainly leads in that direction.
The former Bachmann campaign official in question is Luke Hellier, previously featured on Quiche Morain here. There is no doubt whatsoever that Hellier's commentary on the Minnesota Democrats Exposed blog, regarding editing of Jim Meffert's Wikipedia entry was dishonest. I had not mentioned this in my earlier post at QM, but Ed Kohler of The Deets clearly and painstakingly documents that Hellier "quote mined" the Wikipedia change log to make it look like a Meffert volunteer was acting inappropriately. It turns out…
gregladen | June 18, 2010This is as close as one can get:
BTW, I believe it is recommended to NOT hide from a tornado in your car.
Here's some context:
Please ignore the reporter's geographical references. They are quite muddled. The storm did not come from Iowa, and Wadena is not in what most people would call "Northwestern Minnesota."
gregladen | May 23, 2010Kelly McCullough, author of the Raverin series (starting with WebMage of fantasy/science fiction and dealing with artificial intelligence, magical computer technology, and mythology) will be making a local appearance here in the Twin Cities. Those of you who have followed the Twin Cities Creation Science Fair story already know the place: Har Mar Shopping Center. Or, to be more exact, at the Barnes and Noble at Har Mar.
The Har Mar visit will coincide with the release of McCullough's latest book.
Day: May 25th (Tuesday)
Time: 7:00 PM
See you there! (I'm going to try very hard to make…
gregladen | March 20, 2010El Aldeano y El B de Los Aldeanos lanzan sus proyectos independientes, "Viva Cuba Libre" y "Nos Achicharraron" juntos, de manera descargable gratis para sus amigos fieles a través del mundo.
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