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I can’t quite figure out what is going on with the proposed refinery that Meridian Energy Group says it is going to build next door to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Just about exactly two years ago this week, a company called Martin Construction from Dickinson, just down the road from the park, went into the … Continue reading Whither the Refinery?

Here's a re-run from a few years ago. Because I can't think of a better story to tell on Mother's Day.   I’m thinking of my mom on this Mother’s Day, as we all are. She’s been gone more than ten years now, but it seems like only yesterday I was making those semi-weekly trips … Continue reading Body and Soul: A Mother’s Day Story

Geez, Doug Burgum must be really pissed off at Jeff Delzer. Burgum’s North Dakota’s Governor. Delzer’s a State Representative from District 8, and a powerful one—chairman of the important North Dakota House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. Some say he’s the most powerful of all state Legislators. Also one of the biggest. Kind of pumpkin-shaped. A … Continue reading Heavyweights, Lightweights, and Republican Squabbles in 2020

The newspaper stories this morning said “North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum sad he intends to allow closed businesses to reopen Friday, May 1.” Well, isn’t that special. A great big Maybasket for North Dakota. Happy May Day. The rest of the stories: “The State Health Department on Monday also announced 75 new cases of COVID-19, … Continue reading This Is Just F**king Stupid

I haven’t written here about the coronavirus and all its associated chaos because 1.) I really dislike bad news and don’t like to read it, much less write it; and 2.) Other than not being able to see, and talk to, and hug, our friends and family, we just haven’t been that much affected by … Continue reading Bad News, Worse News, And A Ray Of Hope

There was a big old full moon this week, April’s “Pink Moon,” and we went looking for a spot for watching the moonrise, but as luck would have it, it was cloudy and the moon was mostly obscured for a couple of hours after it rose. As we were driving home, though, we saw it … Continue reading Full Moons, Good Friday and Easter

As construction season approaches, albeit a little bit delayed by Mother Nature this week, we’ll be watching closely to see if any work begins at the Meridian Energy Group’s Davis Refinery site next door to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I’ve been doing a little digging myself, not of the physical nature, but I encountered a … Continue reading ‘Every Penny Out Of My 401(k)’

Some politics today. Caucuses, conventions, initiated measures and great PR work. Caucuses and Conventions A letter writer in The Forum this morning expressed his displeasure with Tuesday’s North Dakota caucuses, saying “I can remember when we voted in a primary election by using one side or the other of the ballot to vote our party … Continue reading Elections and Things

Every once in a while, something pops up on your computer screen that just punches you in the gut, leaving you breathless for a few moments. That happened to me this morning. One of my early morning routines is to scan the state’s newspapers online to see what’s going on around the state. If you … Continue reading C.V.M.

In honor of my friend Clay Jenkinson’s 65th birthday today, I’m going to share a story I wrote five years ago with a little bit of an update. First, let me say that it is hard to believe that my young friend Clay is 65 years old. I remember his 18th birthday, Feb. 4, 1973. … Continue reading Birthdays And Tomatoes