Thursday, May 29, 2008

Open Thread #82

It's summer!

44 comments:

Angie said...

Awww Summer! I don't know about the rest of you, but I am sure ready for the heat. :-)

BTW - first!

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to go down the river in a suit and a 12 pack!!

dale said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

As to the weather, there is the first day of summer, and then there is the first summer day. The same is true of all the seasons. The problem with this year so far is that it has taken so long for any of those real spring and summer days to appear.
I have read, but not seen the proof, that the average temperatures have declined over the past four years. Is there really global warming, or were we just in a mini-cycle? What passes for science would not qualify for a junior year term paper.

Anonymous said...

first!

Matt BK said...

Is there really global warming, or were we just in a mini-cycle? What passes for science would not qualify for a junior year term paper.

I don't really want to get into global warming here, but suggesting that all science is purely subjective is rather harsh. Science is a self-correcting process, so poor interpretations do get made, but overall the method has stood the test of time.

Climate is an especially complex system (almost certainly the most complex ever addressed in the way we are attempting to). Expecting climatologists to have it right every time is admittedly not practical, but having one cold winter (or one hot summer) is no more indicative of a climatological trend than your dog being black meaning that all dogs are black.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know when the Farmer's Market starts up? I sure was impressed with it last year, it has grown a lot in vendors.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 11:37...

The Farmer's Market starts on June 21st (we always start the weekend after artfest which is always the second weekend in June). We run for 15 Saturdays this year (Rain or Shine!).

Thanks for the kind words on the market - we are a volunteer organization and work hard to put everything together.

For more info e-mail us at tsfarmersmarket@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Watch for Mayor Brown's Blitz ! Media that is and The Brown-Mobile. greenglass4

Anonymous said...

Vote McNamara for Mayor!

elucidarian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

What do you have a problem with?

Someone that's not afraid to publicly state their principles even when they know there is very little support for the idea or someone that jumps on principles because they just happen to be popular?

elucidarian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Can you tell us where all the other council persons stand on public education?

Now tell us what control a city council person has over education, public or otherwise?

I would support someone that is not afraid to show their principles even if I didn't always agree with those principles over someone that just "goes with the flow" or hides their principles.

elucidarian said...

Tu-Uyen Tran was kind enough to inform me that Dan Hennessy says was not responsible for his signature being added to that petition, never having visited that web site. I'm a little aggravated at the notion that someone out there would post such pretenses. I'm even more aggravated that I fell prey to it. How very naive.

"Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty politics."

elucidarian said...

C.Y.,

I'm not really interested in flame war over this. You raise some good questions and I'm not equipped to answer them very well. I've never blundered quite like this before and I hope never to repeat it.

Anonymous said...

What is the Aspen Studio place on South Washington? I saw them working on it today.

Anonymous said...

I can remember when it first turned to 50-60 degrees. Ragtops, shorts and swim suits. Then there'd be one last storm and the floods. Here in carolinas it happens before St Paddy's Day. But I waited till end of April this year to put in my garden. We had a few 50's in May this year.
However, a few years back my gardenia bloom twice and had flowers on Christmas.
Growing up in Charlottesville Va in 60's we had winters with 3-4 ft of snow. They don't get that snowfall anymore. Since Thomas Jefferson used to take temps at his home Monticello, Charlottesville has some of the oldest readings in America.
But I was sold on global warming when I saw pictures of Mt Kilmingaro in Africa. When Hemingway wrote of the mountain 70 years ago it was snow capped. Its not snowcapped any longer. Despite being miles from polution the micro climate of its foothills is all but dead. It no longer gets the runoff from the snows melting.
When the last ice age caused melt to run east along St Lawrence rather than downstream to Gulf of Mexico it effected the gulf stream temps by changing the salinety causing the heavier water to start or trigger the ice age. This is a new theory I saw on the Nat Geo Channel recently.
So that global warming is a natural weather pattern that may trigger the next ice age.

Anonymous said...

I have to diasagree that it's summer. According to calander, summer is on June 21st.
Sorry, you are 21 days early.

Anonymous said...

Huge Car Show in Devils Lake Sat, be there or be square ! greenglass4

Anonymous said...

Ahhh I can never resist a classic global warming post. Considering I work in this field (atmospheric science) I'll throw out my opinions.


A few points I don't feel you can debate.
Climate change naturally occurs.
We are in a current GLOBAL warming trend.


Humans can and DO influence the climate to some extent both by greenhouse gas release and land-use change.


Are we doomed? Naw.
Can we absolutely believe climate predictions? Naw. While I think we have a good understanding of how greenhouse gases impact the climate, when it comes to tying the different systems (atmosphere, ocean, bio, etc.) together there is significant holes in our knowledge. Without this info, it's impossible to 100% predict the future climate.


One thing that many people don't realize is climate change can be both global and regional. Anytime the climate changes, there are winners and losers. It's sad the "debate" has become so politicized. All the public typically hears are the tails of the spectrum. Of course usually "truth" lies somewhere in-between.

Anonymous said...

Gee Whiz! Would that be an "Inconvenient Truth" ?

:-)

Anonymous said...

Last night I was driving home around 1am and there were quite a few police cars (maybe 5 or 6) on the corner of Gateway and Standford (i.e. Great Wall Buffet or Al's). I looked in the herald today and didn't see anything about it. Does anyone know if anything happened at that intersection? There were no cars there to indicate a drunk driver or an accident - if that would warrant that many police cars on a Friday night. . .

Anonymous said...

Oops! "Last night" meaning Friday, May 30th or to be technical Saturday May 31th at 1 am.

Anonymous said...

hey guess what - not every police call demands your attention...

Anonymous said...

Rubbernecker!!!!

Anonymous said...

Well, when we're paying their salaries, it might be nice to know what they're all doing when they're on the clock. Six cars is a pretty significant number, considering any normal traffic stop (even one involving drugs) takes two or three...

Anonymous said...

Amen! The police in this town sure do alot of "hanging out". I see police all the time, but rarely do I ever see a squad car actually moving.

And before the local officers flood this thread to defend their actions with bogus technicalities, I'd like to point out that there's been alot of complaining about the police lately. Could there possibly be a reason for that, or is everyone who questions how our tax dollars go to pay for law enforcement in GF a criminal?

Anonymous said...

Some how I think your reasons for wanting to know what was going on has more to do with your thirst for the juicy details and very little to do with your concern for how your tax money is being used by Grand Forks' finest.

Anonymous said...

Good God! Seeing a bunch of police cars and not knowing what's going on really has someone annoyed. Just because you "pay their salaries" doesn't mean you need to know why several cars are called out. Watch an episode of Cops or buy a scanner. And no, I'm not a cop.

Anonymous said...

don't worry as they will all be busy when they open up their 6million dollar training facility

at least it should be mosquito free and the fire fighters are close

Anonymous said...

You want to know what was going on at that time? Go to the police department and ask for the dispatch logs. It's public record. If you actually do pay my salary and have a problem with something I do come see me we'll talk. If you just like to use the phrase "I pay your salary" to make yourself feel better grow up. I own a home in this city as well so I figure I pay part of my own salary as well...

Anonymous said...

Holy smokes people!! It had nothing to do with "tax dollars" or salaries!! I happen to believe that any incident requiring that many police on a Friday night is maybe something of public safety. Maybe a robbery? Or other crime? Jeepers, relax.

Anonymous said...

The rubberneckers were the ones that brought up "tax dollars" in the first place. Do you need to know every time there is a car accident in town so that you can avoid being an accident victim? Nonesense. Crime may or may not happen to you regardless how much you know about criminal activity in town. You should be taking precautions regardless of whether there is a particular crime spree going on or not. It's just plain prudent.

Anonymous said...

"The rubberneckers were the ones that brought up "tax dollars" in the first place."

Rubberneckers...right. Damn those nosy citizens for poking their unwelcome, ignorant little unwashed noses into "Blue's" business again.

As for the alleged officer who wrote that anyone who has a problem with how he does his job should "come see me we'll talk". Young man, if I have a problem with your job performance, I most certainly will not come to see you, I will see someone up the chain from you who matters. Don't you ever forget who you work for. YOU work for US, OK?

My complaint here isn't about the right to know about each and every incident that happens in GF, that's what the news is for. My complaint is about how many police officers are sitting in their cars, doing whatever, and collecting paychecks for it.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:40 I'll bet you're one of those people that when stopped for 57 in a 40 will rant and rave about how I should be out fighting real crime. Then when that doesn't work will ask me if I know the chief and how you had a beer together last night. When that fails will try to explain how good a friend you are with the judge. I might work for society as a whole but I don't specifically owe you anything. (there are court cases to back that up) Before you all get excited remember if we owed every single person something, nobody would ever get a ticket for anything including the guy that raped your daughter because I work for him too, remember??

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the rant but you don't know if I'm doing paperwork on the computer in my car or whatever. Maybe I'm talking to your daughter about that rape gathering more information to pass on to other officers sitting in their cars watching for the suspect.

Anonymous said...

"nosy citizens for poking their unwelcome, ignorant little unwashed noses into 'Blue's" business again.'"

Your words -- no one else's!

Anonymous said...

I wasn't implying that the police weren't working Friday night, it just looked like a news worthy incident - whatever it was and I do certainly think that crimes or major incidents in grand forks are my business. If there was nothing big that happened, okay, fine. I was just wondering with no offense meant to anyone at all.

Anonymous said...

Nothing personal. It didn't even get our attention until the:


"we're paying their salaries" and

"Don't you ever forget who you work for." and

" YOU work for US, OK?"

That's what we hear from people irate for getting a ticket when they run a red light, etc.

But that's okay, we pretty much get used to it. (except for ranting on blogs)

Anonymous said...

"Anon 5:40 I'll bet you're one of those people that when stopped for 57 in a 40 will rant and rave about how I should be out fighting real crime."

I doubt that. I've NEVER been pulled over for ANYTHING, OK? Not everyone who disagrees with you is a criminal.

"I might work for society as a whole but I don't specifically owe you anything...Before you all get excited remember if we owed every single person something, nobody would ever get a ticket for anything"

There you go with that "everybody is a criminal" attitude again. I'm not asking for you to be lenient on anybody, including myself. In fact, I want you to do exactly the opposite, get off your ass and actually DO SOMETHING. If this city has such a low crime rate that we have officers sitting and catching up on paperwork in a parking lot in the middle of the night, don't you think maybe we could trim the workforce down a little?

Anonymous said...

No.

Anonymous said...

"If this city has such a low crime rate that we have officers sitting and catching up on paperwork in a parking lot in the middle of the night, don't you think maybe we could trim the workforce down a little?"

So what in heck do you think the paperwork is about? ordering from Cabelas?? It's better to have officers out on the street doing their paperwork than sitting at the station doing their paperwork. That's why they put computers in the cars, so you get more bang for your buck.

I never said anyone that disagrees is a criminal, you did. Guilty conscience?

Anonymous said...

Hey I dont mean to change the subject...but just have to rant here a bit. What is with that grafitti on the backside of Purpur or Gambuchi (sp?) arenas...can't that be painted over. It is vile and disgusting what is says (at in my view). I dont understand why the Park Board or city would not get to that stuff right away as it is on the main road. I would love to take some paint and go over there myself. If they dont have the exact paint color as the building just use any color...it is better than the graphic language and picture on it now.

Also...In the spring who is in charge of cleaning up all the garbabge left behind on vacant lots along 32nd. That strand of bushes between Rex and Slumberland had so much junk in it before green-up it was disgusting. Again I wonder if anyone could go over and help pick it up or is there some tresspassing issues involved on that land from preventing a private citizen from doing it him/herself. I routinely pick up leftover trash and blown trash around my neighborhood around the South Pointe school in EGF. It seems the school officials in EGF dont really care about what the kids see when they go to school as boxes, etc can be left in the ditches for ever and cigarette butts left in the grass/sidewalk cracks. To me (and I admit I am a clean freak) it is digusting and I gladly volunteer my time to take several bags and pick up trash around the school each spring. My kid will go there in a few years and I dont want him to think that having all that trash around how adults really feel about their surroundings.

Rant off