I tried to keep blogging while away the past 8 days but alas, my motivation gradually eroded due to the constant availability of sandy beaches, rum punches, and stunning sunsets.
A favorite Christmas book of mine: The Two Kings: Jesus & Elvis, by A.J. Jacobs. The author deftly notes the eerie parallels between the two superstars:
Jesus said, “Love thy neighbor” (Matthew 22:39).
Elvis said, “Don’t Be Cruel” (RCA, 1956).
Jesus H. Christ has 12 letters.
Elvis Presley has 12 letters.
Jesus is the Lord’s shepherd.
Elvis dated Cybill Shepherd.
Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone” (Matthew 4:4).
Elvis loved his sandwiches with peanut butter and bananas.
“Then they took up stones to cast at [Jesus]” (John 8:59).
Elvis was often stoned.
Jesus was the Lamb of God.
Elvis had mutton chops.
Jesus was part of a Trinity.
Elvis’ first band was a trio.
Jesus walked on water (Matthew 14:25).
Elvis surfed (Blue Hawaii, Paramount, 1965).
Jesus was a carpenter.
Elvis majored in woodshop/industrial arts in high school.
Jesus lived in a state of grace in a Near Eastern land.
Elvis lived in Graceland in a nearly eastern state.
Jesus wore the crown of thorns.
Elvis wore Royal Crown hair styler.
Jesus’ entourage, the Apostles, had 12 members.
Elvis’ entourage, the Memphis Mafia, had 12 members.
Jesus as wine (sacramental wine).
Elvis as wine (Always Elvis wine by Frantenac).
A major woman in Jesus’ life (Mary) had an immaculate conception.
A major woman in Elvis’ life (Priscilla) went to Immaculate Conception high school.
Jesus was resurrected.
Elvis had the famous comeback special in 1968.
Son of God.
Sun Studios.
Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37).
Elvis said, “Drinks on me!” (Jailhouse Rock, MGM, 1957).
Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights.
Elvis had irregular eating habits (e.g., five banana splits for breakfast).
Jesus is a Capricorn (Dec. 25).
Elvis is a Capricorn (Jan. 8).
Jesus biography by Matthew (Gospel according to Matthew).
Elvis biography by Neal Matthews (Elvis: A Golden Tribute).
“[Jesus'] countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow” (Matthew 28:3).
Elvis’ trademarks were a lightning bolt and snow-white jumpsuits.
Jesus was Jewish.
Elvis was part Jewish (from his maternal great-grandmother, Martha Tackett Mansell).
Jesus’ purple robe.
Elvis’ pink Cadillac.
Jesus’ father is everywhere.
Elvis’ father, Vernon, was a drifter and moved around quite a bit.
Doubting Thomas.
“Suspicious Minds.”
There is much confusion about Jesus’ middle name – what does the “H” stand for?
There is much confusion about Elvis’ middle name – was it Aron or Aaron?
Jesus made rocks roll away from his tomb.
Elvis was a rock and roll singer.
I saw this flyer on the wall of the Goodbye Blue Monday and nearly gasped, I felt so bad for Allison.
It’s always best to transfer/copy photos from your camera’s media card ASAP to someplace else (computer, online storage, etc) but it’s a common mistake, just like not backing up one’s hard drive regularly. And most of us have made one or both mistakes.
Go the Fuck to Sleep is a book written by American author Adam Mansbach and illustrated by Ricardo Cortés. Described as a "children’s book for adults", it reached number 1 on Amazon.com’s bestseller list a month before its release, thanks to an unintended viral marketing campaign during which booksellers forwarded PDF copies of the book by email.
While Northfield awaits the installation of poems by the 2011 Sidewalk Poetry Contest winners, inspiration can be found in the Upper Arb in the form of this tastefully constructed bit of cardboard strung between two trees with a John Cage quote.
The clutch is 8–13 eggs, which are incubated for 27–28 days to hatching with 50–60 days to fledgling. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch.
Tax Day is April 18th this year instead of the 15th. But as if to compensate, Mother Nature inflicted a measure of cruelty on us Minnesotans today. A cold, wet windy day ended with a heavy wet snow. I took these photos in my front yard about 11:30 PM. On April 15, 1983, we had 13.6 inches so be grateful.
I got this email from Northfielder and Happy to be from Iowa blogger Margaret Colangelo:
Merry Christmas Griff! Thought you’d enjoy this local “flash mob”. On Wednesday 12/22 my daughter Jean arranged a surprise serenade for her Secret Santa at Northfield’s Caribou Coffee – Mgr Amanda George. The guys involved are some members of the NHS group BCG. From the left they are Dan Remes, Connor Fink, Peter Duba, Cole Harding, Steven Carson, Sullie Ojala-Hembolt, and Theo Hofrenning. Customers there were so happy they were able to witness this! I was able to film the whole thing.
Our investigative reporters, always titillated by stories that mix sex, espionage and secret facilities, have tracked down the new doubleplussecret facility serving up Wikileaks information.
Behind this innocent door, hardly different from the doors in any industrial facility, lies the powerful system serving files under the wikileaks URL.
The door of shame ... Doubleplussecret entrance to the facility
Behind which we see the powerful, state-of-the-art, 486-class tower system with an astounding 64M of memory.
In the annals of LoGro wildlife fluff (beaver, ducks, owls, etc ), I can now add a snapping turtle to my collection. I took these photos last night on the Mill Towns Trail near Sechlar Park.
FYI, I’m on a jury for a civil trial in federal court in St. Paul. Day 4. Great experience so far. Judge, attorneys, court staff all excellent. No wifi but I’m able to use my new G2 Google phone with the WordPress app to post this.
Friends and family of Rob Schanilec gave him a surprise birthday party at Chapati last night. Rob owns By All Means Graphics and publishes, among other things, the Northfield Entertainment Guide (NEG). I think he’s 60 years-old but I could be wrong.
At 9 am this morning, I noticed that Babcock Park was full of horse trailers, but not a person around.
Anyone know what’s going on?
June 24, 8 am update: They put up a sign, just in time for departure: it’s the Friendship Wagon Train, part of an effort to raise money for Camp Winnebago.
A sharp-eyed Dean Kjerland, AKA Mr. Riverwalk Market Fair, alerted me to this item strapped to a sign at the entrance to the Just Food Co-op parking lot.
What is it?
And when that question is answered to my satisfaction, what else could it be if one’s imagination is left to run rampant?
I’ve heard occasional objections over the past 5 years to my use of the term ‘salonistas.’ It’s a bit obscure, I admit, since the Urban Dictionary defines a salonista as “A person who wrote/worked for the online magazine Salon.com, especially during its heyday in the 1990s.” It also has a more generic meaning: anyone who regularly attends a conversation salon AKA a literary salon.
I’m not sure what term they’d prefer. Gasbag geezers?
The Ely Chamber of Commerce’s International Dairy Queen Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (IDQBWCAW). See the PiPress article for details, since the Chamber’s site evidently can’t handle the traffic. Oy.
I know that Griff usually has a corner on the fluff department, but I have two college-age daughters and occasionally I have to throw them a sop. They called my attention to the fact that local boy Justin Plank, bass player for Gospel Gossip, was named by VitaMN as “Male Hotness” winner. (If you haven’t heard Gospel Gossip, you may have seen Justin hanging out on on his motorcycle in front of Goodbye Blue Monday.)
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Committee for the Beautification of Northfield, a self-delegated, un-official subcommittee of the Streetscape Task Force.
kiffi summa: Our mothers consider the ‘bunched panties’ remark too squalid to pass either their sainted lips, or those of their darling daughters… and seriously doubt whether it was said during your father’s time!
Jane Moline: Griff: you really didn’t know my mother and how do you even know if I wear panties?
Griff Wigley: Jane/Kiffi, I did some family of origin research and it turns out your mothers actually said “A stitch in time saves nine” and “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” about 3-4 times more often than...
kiffi summa: Jane: Both our Mom’s were smart, and they knew about the problems with “borrowing trouble” i.e don’t stir up problems that are non existent; there’s enough current problems to deal with, and even some of...
Jane Moline: I can’t believe I have to bring up my mother’s advice: DON’T GO BORROWING TROUBLE! If some women want to join the fire department in Northfield, we must be afraid that our fire department MIGHT respond like North...
Vicki Dilley: How many lives can we even begin to count that have touched by the Youth Exchange program? Northfield has been involved in Youth Exchange since 1969 when we hosted our first student…since then 100′s of High School...
Tom Durkin: This event supports one of the crown jewels of the Northfield Rotary Club – the Youth Exchange Program. Northfield can be proud that we send out more than fifteen students annually for year abroad study programs. We also host several...
john george: Kathie- I knew I was sticking my neck out on that one!
Kathie Galotti: Geez John. Don’t get Griff restarted on the geese!
john george: Yes, more beaches would certainly accomodate more geese. We have to remember to be waterfowl friendly.
Susan Hvistendahl: I totally agree with you re the need for more beaches in Northfield, having just returned from a week in Puerto Vallarta. Could have had rum punches there but….well, after we visited a local tequila distillery and got to...
Bright Spencer: Oh, you both look so happy! Thanks for sharing. More pics please!
kiffi summa: Griff: whither goest thy right arm if it starts to “whither” (sic) ? sorry; couldn’t resist… stuck at home with a bad knee provides way too much time on computer!
Bright Spencer: i’ve been looking thru a site, crazyguyonabike.com that has lots of journals and photos from around the world.
jane fenton: Congrats, Griff! That’s my son Cliff in the orange hat. He’s revamped the recycling bin prototype. You should see it!
Griff Wigley: Don, I’ll keep ping pong in mind. I’d hate to have my right arm start to whither from a lack of racquetball. In the meantime, I’m trying to excite as many Northfielders as I can about mountain biking. I’ll...
john george: Griff- Iris will have to work real hard to keep you in focus on everything else. I shutter to think where this could go.
Griff Wigley: Name: The Local Joint Description: A handmade and vintage collective in Northfield, MN. COLLECTING.CREATING.COLLABORAT ING. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheLoc alJoint Nfld News: Store to open in former ‘digs’ space
David Beimers: Hmmm… fans? air conditioners? ice cream?
Jessica Paxton: I know. But I don’t wanna spill the (cool) beans!
Megan Tsui: Edward, Sorry you weren’t able to attend. We’ll be posting notes from the meeting on the NEC website and if you send me your email, I’ll make sure you get a copy! If you (or anyone else!) would like to chat about it...
Edward Smith: I wanted to attend this, but was unable. Does anyone know if there will be a summary posted anywhere?
Kathie Galotti: My kid had a pretty decent AP Environmental Science class 2 years ago….he’s not a great math/science student, but this one got him interested in at least knowing enough science to create good policies. I remember...
Paul Zorn: A few years ago one of my daughters spent a year working in Copenhagen, largely in an office setting. All desks in her office could be raised or lowered to permit either standing or sitting positions. I have no idea whether such...
Griff Wigley: In today’s Strib: Office-dwellers stand up to ‘sitting disease’ Dr. James Levine has reviewed the statistics: One in three Minnesota adults is either diabetic or pre-diabetic, and one in four is obese. And he thinks...
Bright Spencer: The All Pro Game last Sunday between the AFC and the NFC was so enjoyable. The stess, the anger, the anxiety all gone…well I didn’t watch all of it, as I rarely do watch an entire game, usually just the beginning and...
Griff Wigley: Today’s Strib: Hockey safety goal expanded to youth In an unprecedented mid-year change, Minnesota Hockey is toughening the penalties for checking from behind and boarding. The change will affect 40,000 hockey players in the...
Bright Spencer: I like hockey and all sports very much. I was a star basketball player in my day. I don’t remember anyone suffering any major injuries in all my hs and college days. I feel certain that coach’s know who does what and...
john george: You are correct. That is why I didn’t allow my children to attack the character of their siblings just to support their position. There do need to be some kind of ground rules in any discussion so as to keep individual...
kiffi summa: The issue could be considered to be: what is “conflict”, and what are two sides of a discussion… see #33 re: the Mayor’s admonition to Peter Dahlen at the joint Council/ChartComm meeting. I don’t see how...
john george: Kiffi- This is a good article, and I agree with most of it. Just thinking about my kids in their youth, there was always some conflict between them, but our goal as parents wasn’t to force them into some weiner form but to help...
kiffi summa: A very interesting article in the Jan.30th New Yorker magazine on the nature of the dynamics of creative discussion; it’s entitled “Groupthink; the brainstorming myth”. Based on studies done by a psych professor at...
Griff Wigley: Kiffi/Kathie, I didn’t have that reaction. But I’ve put up a new blog post to discuss it and everything else related to the Fire Department so let’s shift the discussion there.
Kathie Galotti: I read Betsey’s blog and, like most of Betsey’s blog entries, found it well-written and making a very good point. Though I agree that geographic districts aren’t the only way to represent different constituencies,...
john george: Griff- The NN editorial presents the difference between geographic representation and ideological representation. Right now, the wards establish geographic representation. With this approach, depending upon the voter turnout, a person...
kiffi summa: I hope that people will use the link here on LG to read the current posting by Councilor Buckheit on her blog, re: wards versus all at-large, and take the opportunity to comment. Once again, the NFNews has not given a very well...
Griff Wigley: Nfld News editorial: Keep the current ward system intact
Sean Hayford Oleary: In any case, this issue doesn’t seem like it needs to be another opportunity to dis/agree with the current council. Regardless of how focused on the downtown (or not) they are, it’s clear this change would not...
Griff Wigley: In today’s NY Times: Turning to Kettlebells to Ease Back Pain Kettlebells, cast-iron weights that have been used for centuries to train Russian soldiers and athletes, appear to be a promising therapy for back and neck pain, new...
Sandy Vesledahl: UPDATE ON RHONDA: We are very happy to report that Rhonda was adopted over the weekend by a local family. Rhonda’s new mom is a Family Counselor and Rhonda will be going to her office with her and helping with her clients. So...
Megan Tsui: Griff, The NEC is moving forward with the idea of a non-profit Coworking Incubator/Accelerator space. Megan
Megan Tsui: What do you think? Come to the Community Dialogue and tell us! January 31st from 2 to 4 pm at the Archer House lower level conference room. Share your ideas, thoughts, and dreams about a Coworking Incubator/Accelerator space in...
kiffi summa: I would hope the City’s Historic Preservation Commission would explore this option, and the appropriateness/allowability for use on properties within the Historic District. Thanks, Jim.
Jim Haas: I was reading a story by Porter Fox about his visit to Copenhagen. He mentioned in passing that the city is vigilant about removing graffiti using high-pressure washers with ice crystals as a mild abrasive. I did a little rudimentary...
kiffi summa: The LWV observer reports are meant to be a summary of actions taken, not a ‘blow by blow’ transcript. This is the reason that anyone deeply interested should watch the meeting for themself, if they want a full...
Keep your wits about you today. Lots of faux news types cranking out the content, for example:
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