Window panes 07

End of the warm spell a chill wind

The icycles have melted.


We walked the dogs around Thorpe Park today. Empty lanes. A bright January sun was accompanied by 8 degree temperatures, and a sharp Nothern wind that seered our checks. (If I was a Twin Cities weatherman I would have instructed you to wear warm clothes today).
The dogs gave the temperature no attenton, but we cut the walk short, - to their canine consternation.

BTW- for years I thought the term was 'windshield temperture', not 'wind chill temperature'.

Global Warming, Lake Minnetonka and Kettle Lakes

A Lake Minnetonka Geograpahic essay - from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

This is copy taken from a plaque, at the edge of Lake Minnetonka, in Excelsior.


This plaque was erected by the Geographical Society Of Minnesota, with the partnership of the Minnesota Department of Transportation.


“At the peak of the last glacial period, or Wisconsin glaciation (you know those “cheddar heads” were involved - my comment) an advancing glacier passing over the ancient river valley that now lies beneath Lake Minnetonka, filled the valley with ice. Sediment that melted out of the overriding glacier buried the ice trapped in the valley. The glacial ice and sediment were then covered by additional sediment from more recent glacial advances. As a result when glaciers last receded form Minnesota 10,000 years ago, large blocks of ice were buried deep in the ancient valley under thick piles of sediment. When the ice blocks melted, the overlying sediment collapsed and created numerous depressions that filled with water, which are called kettle lakes. At Lake Minnetonka, the ice blocks were so big and close together that the depressions coalesced to form the large composite kettle lake that we see today.”

The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Minnesota Geograpahical Society.

I urged “Urg” to get a smaller cave, not to buy that SUV 10,000 years ago, but he wanted to drive to Maynards for a Walleye Sandwich.

“McMansions”

It is not a flattering term. Why are these new construction houses not called “mansions”, “estates”, or more realistically just “ large houses”? It is political & it is a lifestyle thing.
The name “ McMansions” is loaded with cultural baggage and inuendo. (The City Council of Minnetonka specifically call them "McMansions" in their development planning policy).
With the word “McMansion”, bad taste is implied, fast money, and class envy is an underlying tone. It also implies superfluous fat. The McMuffin of houses.
The politicians are talking about visual and moral aesthetics. - City income surely rises with tax revenues from these higher priced homes. This is an odd position, because in the (infamous) Glen Lake Developement higher income to the city was a justification for use of Emininent Domain (takings).

Still the City of Minnetonka presses on working with New Urbanists, to regulate the construction of this new category of new houses built in existing neighborhoods.

City Planner Geoff Olson says this “We’re on the cutting edge on this one”.

My question; Who gives, and who recieves the cuttings?

My Monday Morning Pal

Good Morning You Stiffs!

I beg your indulgeance. I must post this quote from The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Sunday Edition, January 14, 2007.

"A man at a laptop is a man at a desk, a stiff, a drone. A newspaper reader by comparison is a swordsman, a wrangler, and a private eye"

Garrison Keilor
billed as: "the old scout"

My comment: And to get reliable news from the Tribune, you must be a real sleuth.

Elbows Off the Table at The Etiquette Acadamy

A Rasberry colored flyer was attached to my mailbox. It was an advertisment for the Etiquette Acadamy, Deephaven. (Est. 2006)
"Welcome boys & girls ages 7-13"
There are ninety minute courses, full and half day courses.

Features:
• Camp Confidence.
• Essential ettiquette.
• Dining and refining
• Mastering manners.

Clearly there is a need, there is always a need for courtesey too.
There was a time when parents were capable of teaching this.

Scenes form a 2007 Winter

Who loves you?

I drove down Minnetonka boulevard just after having my headlight replaced on my purple (sorry Prince) 2000 Beetle Turbo. You know, originally I resented this song. In 1975 the Four Seasons were a group of blue polyester guys before-my-time guys are trying to keep up with the times.
Today: I love the kitsch, no, I really do. In some odd way this song has held up to the test of time, or we have come down to meet it? Who cares? Earlier last year this song was played on Art Bell late, late, one sleepless night as bumper music. It became a mantra, a yantra... whatever sound-oriented eastern repetitive chant is correct. THE FOUR SEASONS. Best heard in the dark during Art Bell radio.

Who loves you pretty baby,
Who's gonna help you through the night?

Who loves you pretty mama,
Who's always there to make it right?

Who loves you pretty baby,
Who's gonna help you through the night?

Who loves you pretty mama,
Who's always there to make it right?

Who loves you,
Who loves you pretty baby?
Who's gonna love you mama?

Who loves you,
Who loves you pretty baby?

When tears are in your eyes,
And you can't find the way.

It's hard to make believe,
You're happy when you're gray.

Baby when you're feelin' like,
You'll never see the mornin' light.

Come to me,
Baby, you'll see.


Edited from a music site JR.com
The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi. WHO LOVES YOU is a collection of work from the Four Seasons' mid-'70s comeback period. Was their disco-friendly 1975 hit "Who Loves You, an homage to Telly Savalas's popular catch-phrase from TV's KOJAK, -then at the height of its popularity? No sentient being can say for sure, but what we do know is that it marked the group's return to the upper reaches of the charts after an absence of some seven years, as well as a reunion with their genius songwriter/producer Bob Gaudio.