RAMANAM
In the Name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, Amen.
Countrymen.
From 2011, a funny piece on Minot:
In the three years since 2011 and starting just before then, Minot has transformed into a new world something comparable to Seattle’s role supporting the Alaska gold rush. But in Minot’s case, it is the Bakken rush, which is mostly west and south of Minot. Bill says the cliche modern American commercial strip I see from the window of his suite is one and less than one year old. The restaurant hostess of whom I asked directions because Google Maps was not helping — because the newbie desk clerk here misspelt the name — said, “I have only been here a month, let me hand you over to the manager, who knows the area.” In other words, Minot is newbies and the cliche de-culture fixtures — McDonalds, Taco Bell, and seemingly endless teepee stacks (hotels), such as this one, etc. — are too.
I happened to be exploring old down town Minot just after the old Minot central HS was evacuating (i.e., screwl day over). Minot has a serious drug problem. Very, very serious by the looks of the teenagers milling everywhere.
Otherwise, Minot-old is classic Midwestern lay-out and construction. Narrow streets, an alley through every block. Post-Civil War Between the States architectural norms. Across the Midwest those norms obtained for many, many decades.
Two huge, well-kept Lutheran churches in the downtown area. Tan brick. One very huge, pristine Roman Catholic church in the downtown area, higher up the south hill than the rest. Red and light brown brick. Dedicated to St. Leo The Great. Typically quaint Episcopal Church down the hill from the RC blockbuster. Episcopalians were few in number in the Midwest historically, and now.
A lot of French names and words here. Also Scandahoovians, of course, but I think the original pattern-makers were French. The Indians in this area, which was “Canadian,” had been converted Roman Catholic. I saw their RC churches — and others — small, decrepit or boarded up — coming across the Fort Peck Reservation. Not that it made them any better persons in the long run.
After a hot meal (Mexican) I wobbled north on US 83 to Minot AFB. Passed it and found a likely dirt road into the fields. I love such roads, chance to get into the crop land and see first-hand what is happening. This one was about a section (660 acres, 1 sq mile) of sunflowers. Bill says they are harvested in about a month and used for oil. Minot is major sunflower oil area.
Three dogs are walking down a Midwestern town’s main street. They spot a side of beef in a butcher shop window. The white dog, owned by a white man, says, let’s work so we can earn money to buy that. The black dog, owned by a black man, says, hell, let’s just break the glass and take it. The mongrel, owned by a farmer says, no, just stand here whining and they’ll give it to us.
The way crop insurance works, Ollie plants crops knowing they will fail and he will collect the crop insurance, which covers more than his costs in planting.
From Bill, who has been around this long enough.
I remember Swami saying a root evil world-wide is cash crops. Crops unnecessary to feed humanity and only planted/harvested to make money. Like dairymen overproducing because USDA will buy their product and make it into cheese for storage or distro to their voters/clients. Or the corn/ethanol scam. Or Whole Foods and every other super market throwing out tons of produce daily because it just doesn’t look quite right.
Still, agriculture is sacred, however abused.
I will stay a third night here, head east on US 2 Wedesday.
Today I did get to watch a B-52 at Minot AFB doing approach and runs or whatever it is called when they come in but do not actually touch and go. He was using a figure eight pattern, so approaching from the opposite direction each time. I guess to practice landing in the constant winds from opposite directions, but really I do not know the reason. Both Minot AFB and Minot International runways (each has one) run northwest to southeast, presumably because of the prevailing wind direction.
Also, I asked to get on base as a tourist on a road trip and was denied. I had said up front that I have no particular business on base, just visiting tourist. The AFMP said I could not and I said I understood. A nice young man, from Kalama, WA. The arch over the entrance to the base had an inscription which read: “The Best Go North”
I am previously informed that USAF sends personnel they do not like to Minot AFB.
From today in the fields of heaven:
AMDG – VICTORY