Walker Museum

"Just remember, Ellen, that even if it looks simple, you couldn't have done it." Actually, there were some things there that I could have done, but nobody would have cared. There were also some things there about which I didn't care. Still, I kept an open mind, mostly. Heaven knows, I don't want to seem supercilious.

I am not usually impressed when self-opinionated folks posing as artists take some ugly, mundane everyday item and pretend it is creative art. Many of the art pieces were, however, interesting and/or beautiful - great colors, interesting textures, insightful; though many were, in my opinion, not so much.

For example, a sculpted (or possibly paper mache) "cooker" full of what looks like white rice being overcooked does not strike me as a masterpiece worthy of a place in a major art institute. Nor am I impressed with a bunch of work and paint tools stowed under the stairs. A bundle of old newspapers stacked near a wall in the corner is unimpressive, (My mother's basement would have been a masterpiece of giant proportions) as is an apparently unfinished table-like appurtenance with a partial paint job and ragged plywood edges (not dissimilar to my father's basement workbench). A pneumatic pump apparently attached to a mirror (I think it was a mirror) as art? A bit of a stretch. I really could have stacked three tins of sardines or whatever they were in a mini-pyramid. If I could do it, you know it requires no talent whatsoever.

Still having kept an open mind and considered the amazing diversity and effects of this display of modern art concepts, I really enjoyed the place. In fact I think I'll return soon. After this outing, I find myself looking at things around me in a somewhat different way. I see that as a good thing. I enjoyed the outing more than I expected to. Being open minded is also a good thing, and I'm working on it. After all, I've never been seen as pretentious . . . I don't think.

Today's favorite headline

Mpls Star Tribune, Jun3 25, 2010, Business page D5 "Twitter agrees to zip the beaks of bogus tweeters." Announcing a settlement of a "government complaint about security lapses that allowed hackers to view private messages and send "tweets" from other people's accounts." We do have a skill in this country for creating new and sometimes odd meanings for existing words - not to mention the creation of strange new words.

Today's "Ya' think?" moment

Something I read yesterday - some brilliant commentator noted that the U.S. "suing Arizona may make Obama open to criticism." Well, who'd a' thunk it? Then again not suing Arizona may also make Obama open to criticism. Perhaps?

Perception Gaps

A column by Daniel Byman in The Atlantic summarized in current issue of The Week describes jihadists as bumbling morons and points out that they are mostly untrained, foolish and, in many cases, obsessed with sex and porn. Asking rhetorically whether this knowledge of their heroes might undermine jihadists' appeal to young, disaffected Muslims, Byman concluded, "Who wants to join an organization of smut-obsessed, incompetent fools?"

Sadly, I have to point out to Mr. Byman, that the same logic might discourage folks from joining the "Tea Party". However, in spite of their many unsupportable contradictions, the common so-called wisdom is that these smut-obsessed (e.g. gays are a threat to civilization), incompetent (e.g. Sarah and Michelle, etc.) fools are a force to be reckoned with. But are they really?

Dollhouse - a play at the Guthrie

Very interesting "update" on Ibsen's "The Doll's House" - with lots of dysfunctional discourse in a dysfunctional marriage based on a dysfunctional relationship and lies - lots of lies. One really didn't much like either of the main characters, and I, personally, was thinking "Oh, for heaven's sake. Will someone here please tell the truth on something or, at the very least, manifest even one small redeeming personal characteristic." I admit I do get rather into the "play".

Some of you may remember my Himalayan Salt Lamp? It supposedly infuses the room with negative ions, which are touted in the promotional material to have great powers. As I previously described it (it, the lamp, remains in Phoenix), "The lamp emits a pleasant glow and is an interesting gadget to talk about. Many promises arrived with the purchase of this amazing little object. Of course, I didn't believe it would remove all dust and pollutants and alleviate allergies, asthma, etc. Nor is it credible that it would boost my immune system, speed the heeling of my wounds, increase my alertness, improve my sleep and cognitive abilities or help reduce my anxiety. All those supposed benefits were clearly exaggerations or, more credibly, total fantasy."

What has this to do with the play I just saw? About halfway through the play, I spotted what seemed to be a Himalayan Salt Lamp glowing on the end table by the sofa in the room where the whole play, with all its tensions and anxieties was being acted out. Wonder how many people noticed - or, more particularly, how many people knew what they were seeing? The play ended on a harmonious note. Was it the script or was it the lamp? We may never know.

One very tired puppy

Sitting out in the sunshine on a day when the humidity is high and the temperature is 86 can be very exhausting, especially to an old lady like me. I am one very tired old lady. Still, it was an interesting afternoon. I was again reminded how much better it is to just do it, even if you have to do it all by yourself.

As you may know, yesterday I impulsively ordered two standing room only tickets to today's Twins game, sending out a last minute invitation to anyone who wanted to do so to join me. No one did! Ah, how I remember the days when my personal popularity would bring a huge following or at least one other person. Today I had the pleasure of remembering the days when I had insufficient personal friends to even ask someone to join me on the spur of the moment. Another time, another life.

So, undaunted as I usually am, I proceeded to go to the game myself, taking my time getting there, parking on 2nd Avenue. Yes, RM, I was parked right in front of your condo. As I walked the 5 or 6 blocks, I found myself talking with two young men, TJ and Tim, who happened to have an extra ticket in a lower right field (but, as it turned out, very sunny) seat. I purchased the ticket for $20 and never needed the standing room only ticket/s, which I thought was quite fortuitous.

After walking around for a time and enjoying a nice glass of Summit EPA, I found the seat and settled in for about two, maybe three innings, at which point it had become too hot to stay there. While sitting, I learned from the man on my right, a golfer with a baseball glove on his hand, that in his opinion balls really soared in golf and probably baseball too, when the barometric pressure is low and a storm is coming, not when the storm is over and pressure is high. The pressure was obviously not high today, as none of the balls hit by the Twins anyway soared out of the park, nor anywhere near out of the park. Nor did my friend catch any balls with his nice baseball glove.

We were behind 3 nothing when I arrived, so I take no responsibility for the loss today. I left for home sometime during the 8th inning, and as I pulled my comfortable, air conditioned car into the garage, the game ended on a score of 5 to 1. Hot, windy, tiring - and I'm very happy I went. It really is better than vegetating at home in front of the TV all afternoon where such delicacies as Summit EPA, Kramarczuk's Polish Sausage with kraut and onions and unlimited amounts of Cappuccino Galato are not readily available. And walking around the stadium clearly uses up all those extra calories, leaving my conscience totally free of guilt.

At the ballpark no one checks your ID when you're buying beer unless you are under 30, and how they know that without checking your ID is an unanswerable question. I, personally, was not asked to show my ID even once, and I even offered to do so. Do I look to be clearly over 30 years old? Aaaaah, shucks!

Emmers reminds me of . . .

Tonight on WCCO, it was reported that Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmers in response to the nurses strike stated that hospitals have a right to run their hospitals as they want to.

Last time I heard that "attitude" expressed was at the end of the very last employment discrimination trial I handled, way back in the late '60's or early '70's. In a case involving the company's "holding" a position for their male choice, while he attained the experience to give him the proper qualifications, the woman who had done the job for that year or so that it took for him to do so, claimed (rightfully) that it was sex discrimination for the company not to give her the job. The company claimed she was not qualified for the job. After evidence was complete, the retired judge hearing the case concluded, and I quote (I've never forgotten his words) "I'm convinced that she is just as qualified [for the job] as he is, but I think a corporation ought to be able to hire whoever they please." And he proceeded to find for the company. My client did not appeal, because she was worn down by the process.

I must conclude in the current situation that the hospitals really DON'T have the right to run their hospitals the way they want to - especially if the people who provide the patient care (who are, you'll notice, mostly women) do not think their policies provide the best and most effective care for their patients. I just have to come down on the side of the nurses in this one. And I surely do NOT want Tom Emmers leading our state back to the '60's with this attitude.

Are we suddenly reverting to a time when only the very big "businesses" are to have their opinions and policies respected? Thank heavens we still have some unions ready to stand up against such arrogance.

Lord Tebbit doesn't get it

"While many Americans have been pushing Obama to take a tougher stance against BP, Lord Tebbit, the former government minister in Britain, criticized the president for his recent attacks. 'The whole might of American wealth and technology is displayed as utterly unable to deal with the disastrous spill—so what more natural than a crude, bigoted, xenophobic display of partisan political presidential petulance against a multinational company?'"

Does anyone else find this comment outrageous? The arrogance of the British Lords appears to be present and accounted for in jolly old England. This from an article headlined: "BP Execs baffled as shares reach 13-year low"

Figures of Speech

That we think nothing of. Headline: "Security council slaps new sanctions on Iran."
Ouch, do you suppose that hurt? Or do we hope it did?

Headline: "Hecker aide coughs up documents, avoids jail." Might I add, and cures painful stomach ache as well? I see documents pouring forth. Are they readable?

Warm is cold

I recall perfectly the weather report for today - sunny and high of 80. Ok, as of this morning's paper, high of 78. I am, of course, in my shorts; however, my thermometer has not risen above 70, and there is a rather cold wind blowing. Once again, check what I'm wearing (shorts or long pants) and then rush back to your closet and dress in the opposite. Will I never learn?

Of course, I could just go back upstairs and put on my long pants, but would be the adventure (or the story, for that matter)in that?

Too much rain?

This was, perhaps, not the best year for me to leave my raincoat in Phoenix. I could buy another, but then I'd probably leave two raincoats in Phoenix next summer.

Perhaps we're ready for drier days. My dogs flushed a mother duck quietly nested in my neighbor's yard and my blue heron came by flying low over my back yard. Scouting my pond, perhaps? Shall I stock it?

On the upside, however, my "kids" and I walked the parkway and did not have to jump out of the way of any bicycles. Not a good day for bicycles, I guess.

Against big government?

And the wailing goes on - Big government is ruining us. The government is evil. More government is more evil. Yet, they wail, why hasn't the government done more to a) stop the oil spill; b) find jobs for the unemployed; c) educate our children for less; d) get us out of debt . . . . All of these things and more require more government, not less. So does war. High military spending has been the major contributor to our massive deficit, yet, we ask the government to assure our safety from bombings and terrorists. That safety doesn't come cheap.

If by proposing solutions to massive problems, the government needs a structure to assure the result, then government may get bigger. If our population increases so that more people need roads, schools, police and fire protection, etc., then our government may get bigger. If businesses raise prices to make profits, and they make profits and grow larger, then the services they need from the government may be greater, and government may get bigger. Life is complicated. This is not your grandfather's simple country life we're living here. Deal with it.

Oops! I seem to have published a rant.

The Pacific Northwest's coming quake

According to this week's issue of The Week, a major earthquake will hit the Pacific Northwest in the next 50 years. I hope it waits until after Obama's presidential term, or the media will blame him for that too. When it comes it looks like it will make the oil spill sound minor, just to show that man made disasters still cannot compete with "natural" ones. Still, we have this summer's hurricane season to help us understand the agony wrought by "natural" disasters. Coming soon to a TV screen near you. Does anyone besides me find it painful to watch the news these days? Of course you do!

Cold is warm

Don't look to me for weather information. Yesterday (temp 83) I wore long pants expecting a cool day. Today I wore shorts expecting a warm day. Today it's 66,and I may never again heed Paul Douglas' weather prediction in the morning paper nor believe Chris Schaffer's weather news either for that matter.

Still, yesterday was a good day to take my friend, Ruth, out to lunch, and today is a good day to rearrange my living room, set up my new Comcast TV digital gadget (it has greatly expanded my viewing options on my non-HD TVs) and stock up on good wine and a few groceries at Byerly's Even the dogs are sleepy today. A restful day for all.

Dry heat also can be hazardous to your health

People in India are dying from the excessive heat (of course, it couldn't be global warming, now could it?)

"Temperatures are expected to continue climbing in coming weeks—pushing 122 degrees Fahrenheit—even though this summer is already the hottest on record for northern India since records began over 100 years ago. Lack of atmospheric humidity, the effects of last year's El Niño cycle, and hot, dry winds from the Thar Desert are to blame, according to the Indian Meterological Department." From Slate.com "The Slatest Edition"

This stuff is, I think, very scary. Yes, I know, we still have very cold winters in some places, and not every place is setting heat records, at least at this particular moment . . . but the question persists: Are we already too late?

Personal Responsibility

Headline: "Woman suing Google for Bad Directions" It seems Google directed her to walk down a highway, and she did it, was hit by a car and sustained injuries.

I understand the frustration arising from following wrong directions provided by one's electronic advisers. I once took a 200 mile detour into the desert when I was directed to reach Phoenix from the north by first driving south almost to the Mexican border. It's a much shorter trip using a more direct route. Recently my GPS directed me to turn left onto a sidewalk. I did not make that turn. Hopefully, we learn from our mistakes.

Even better, we might use common sense when directed into a ridiculous situation. And now there's the additional embarrassment this poor woman will endure because she has chosen to sue Google for damages, thus publicizing her extremely poor judgment. Where has personal responsibility gone?