Bob CollinsIn sickness, why a stadium supporter can’t support the Vikings’ stadium plan, dinosaur farts, the Snake River Canoe Race, and the things we don’t get.
The Monday Morning Rouser:
1) IN SICKNESS AND…
“You and I aren’t going anywhere and we’ll handle it….” In the debate over the sanctity of marriage that is flaring in Minnesota up to this November’s vote on same-sex marriage, there are people who protect it the old-fashioned way: Staying married in tough times.
You will find no more beautiful way to start your week than this:
2) WHY A STADIUM SUPPORTER CAN’T SUPPORT THE VIKINGS STADIUM
Rick Prescott, who writes Ballpark Magic, acknowledges he’d like to support the current proposal for a Vikings stadium. But he says the location is wrong, the ownership of the new stadium is wrong, the method of financing from the “local partner” is wrong, and the method of financing it at the state level is wrong.
Prescott, who knows stadium politics, says there’s a better deal to be had and lawmakers — who vote today on the stadium proposal — will likely get it by voting “no.”
“Though it would have been my preference to solve the stadium problem this year and save the expenses associated with waiting (among them financing), the plan as it is currently formulated is not only potentially insufficient, it is rather irresponsible and decidedly ill-advised on many fronts,” he says.
BTW, I’ll be live-blogging today’s stadium floor debate in this very location. Join the conversation.
3) BLAME THE DINOSAURS
Dinosaur farts may have played a big role in the warming of the earth, the BBC is reporting today. British scientists have calculated the methane output of sauropods, including the Brontosaurus. The dinosaurs produced 520 million ton of gas annually. That would just about equal the total methane emissions in the world today.
4) A WEEKEND WASHOUT? HARDLY
Greg Seitz, of Maplewood, raced in the Snake River Canoe Race near Mora on Saturday. “It was a terrific event,” he says in an e-mail. “A dozen or so hardcore racers, and maybe a hundred casual participants — mostly local folks. We got passed by a lot of people in pretty beat-up canoes. The race is about 14 miles long, and the river was in great shape from all the rain recently.”
5) THE THINGS WE DON’T GET…
Aaron J. Brown considers life’s mysteries in his latest column from Hibbing:
I don’t get pajama pants in public. I don’t get Dancing with the Stars. They aren’t very good, you know. There are professional dancers who are very good, but they are not on television. I don’t get fancy single-serving coffee makers. I don’t get the Twilight series.
I don’t get pillow shams. If something ever happened to my wife I’d be lost, but I wouldn’t want trade places with the pillow shams. They’re doomed. Pillow cases are adequate. They have a job to do. What are we really hiding? I will burn those pillow shams in the driveway. There is no object in my house that I hate more than pillow shams. I love my wife more than I hate pillow shams. That is all the pillow shams have going for them.
Discussion point: What don’t you get?
Bonus I: Some colleges and universities have football teams and bands. The University of North Dakota literally tops them all. They’ve got an aerobatic team:
Bonus II: Contest to pick the best name in public radio. What? Mark Zdechlik isn’t good enough for you?
Bonus III: Who’s buying Native American artifacts at a Minnesota auction?
TODAY’S QUESTION
Minneapolis animal control officers are trying to cope with an oversupply of pit bulls and other so-called bully breeds. Some are strays, some have been judged dangerous and many have suffered abuse. The shelter can only release them to qualified rescue organizations, and half of them are euthanized. Today’s Question: Are some breeds of dogs too dangerous to have as pets?
WHAT WE’RE DOING
Daily Circuit (9-12 p.m.) – First hour: Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad.
Second hour: The rise of nondenominational churches.
Third hour: Tanya Luhrman, professor of anthropology at Stanford University and author of “When God Talks Back.”
MPR News Presents (12-1 pm):
Talk of the Nation (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: TBA
Second hour: Losing your faith.
All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) – The number of students on free or reduced-price lunch in Minnesota is up 2 percent over last year, and 14 percent over three years ago. The suburbs have seen some of the biggest jumps, and most of the increase has come in the “free” category, which suggests the level of economic hardship has deepened. The jump in need has schools looking for new ways to ensure kids are well-fed and able to learn. MPR’s Julie Siple will have the story.
The state of Minnesota, its politicians and some academics are declaring a war on Asian Carp. These invading fish from south of the Twin Cities are making their way to the upper reaches of the Mississippi River and are now in the St. Croix. The silver and big head carp are consider threats to native species in the rivers and in the many Minnesota lakes connected to the rivers via tributaries. But some biologists say evidence from Illinois and other states suggests the fish may not pose as big a threat as the politicians and others suggest. MPR’s Matt Sepic will have their story.
Santi White once worked at a record company, writing songs for pop stars. Now, she’s becoming a pop star herself under the name Santigold. And she’s trying to challenge the music industry. NPR talks to Santigold about her music and her latest album, “Master of My Make Believe.”
