Winter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waning Moon of the Cold Month<\/p>\n
Temps have come up.\u00a0 Near freezing on Thursday.\u00a0 Break out the beer cooler, the barbecue and the hot dogs.\u00a0 Time for a picnic Minnesota style.<\/p>\n
Every once in a while I find myself driving in a part of the Cities I don’t know well.\u00a0 Tonight was one of those times.\u00a0 I needed to get the Urban League building at 2100 Plymouth.\u00a0 Looked straightforward on the map, but, as usual, I wanted to try something, so I got off at the Olson Highway exit.\u00a0 Hmm.\u00a0 A bridge too far.\u00a0 I had to wend my back north through side streets.\u00a0 Finally found it and made it to the meeting.<\/p>\n
Senate District 58, Linda Higgins.\u00a0 The Sierra Club’s first in-district meeting with members and legislators.\u00a0 A good turnout and a lot of good dialogue, back and forth on environmental issues, peace and justice and taxes.\u00a0 Back in the car, back home.<\/p>\n
How about that news that GM sold more cars in China last year than in the US?\u00a0 Whoa.\u00a0 Things change.\u00a0 Our time at the top of the heap alone has come to an end.\u00a0 I’m not with the dystopians who see us limping toward the next century, a much larger and sadder equivalent of Britain after the fall of empire.\u00a0 Neither am I nervous about China.\u00a0 Nothing in their 5,000 year history suggests to me that they will do anything more than shore up their borders and try to make as much money as possible while living interesting lives.<\/p>\n
My own feeling?\u00a0 The world will be better served with two different, but equal powers.\u00a0 Will we stay there with China for the long haul?\u00a0 I don’t know.\u00a0 I don’t care.\u00a0 How we live our lives here has become interwoven with China as an economic power, yes; but, will the superbowl or the world series cease?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 High school proms and McDonalds?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 Car trips and love of our national parks?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 Our wobbly, creeky democracy?\u00a0 No.<\/p>\n
Will the US change over the next 50 to 100 years.\u00a0 Of course.\u00a0 More Latinos.\u00a0 Greater ethnic diversity.\u00a0 More people in cities.\u00a0 Sure. Will this makes us less American?\u00a0 Nope. Will it change what it means to be an American?\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 But are we the same Americans as those in the first 13 states?\u00a0 I don’t think so.\u00a0 Different than Civil War America?\u00a0 In substantive ways, yes.\u00a0 So, it stands to reason that American will have a different flavor in 2111.\u00a0 Not only am I ok with that, I celebrate it and hope my grandchildren and their grandchildren help make it special.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Winter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waning Moon of the Cold Month Temps have come up.\u00a0 Near freezing on Thursday.\u00a0 Break out the beer cooler, the barbecue and the hot dogs.\u00a0 Time for a picnic Minnesota style. Every once in a while I find myself driving in a part of the Cities I don’t know well.\u00a0 Tonight was one of … Continue reading The Times They Are A Changin’ (Still)<\/span>