Welcome, Natasha Thomas, to the Fish. Natasha wears many caps. She is a North Dakota-born and -raised, board-certified music therapist, bellydancer, performer and instructor and prime mover for promoting challenging conversations and activism in her local community. You could say Natasha contains more energy than the Bakken Oil Boom. She’s quick to smile and her passion about people is …
326,170 Minnesotans live within half-mile danger zone of Bakken oil trains Transporting oil by rail cars is risky business because North Dakota oil is highly flammable and explosive. Those oil cars cruise past 6 percent of Minnesota’s residents, who live within a half-mile of rail routes carrying crude oil ; a half-mile is considered the evacuation danger zone. Five to seven trains …
An idea to eliminate pro sports stadium wars For 30 years, the owners of the Professional Sports Cult have screwed the public with a subsidy bill of $17 billion. Sports loyalty, at least in Minnesota, is a one-way street. Pay the bill and watch marginal teams lose. Ahhh. But now, there’s hope for taxpayers down the road, just not in …
So called tech journalists gathered in San Francisco on Monday to breathlessly wait in awe for Apple CEO Tim Cook to announce details about the oh-so-cool, gotta-have-one “wearable device. It’s a well-known fact that these reporters follow Cook around like puppies following their mother. Meanwhile social media outlets vomited up-to-the second developments — Live Streaming! — from the Apple Special …
Oil rig activity plunges on the Bakken A top state official says North Dakota could lose as many as 4,000 oil field jobs as production plunges towards 1 million barrels per day, the lowest level since February 2009. The rig count — 193 a year ago — could drop to 100 this year. http://www.startribune.com/business/296155211.html Big oil’s business model is broken Michael Klare …
The Fish loves photos. The Fish loves photos taken by professional photographers. Here’s hoping you will enjoy the work by Barbara La Valleur. Not only does she shoot, she also writes well. (That’s unusual for a photographer. Just ask former Grand Forks Herald chief shooter John Stennes.) Check out La Valleur’s first blog, “Musings…” on the site nearby. La Valleur is …
The Minnesota State Boys High School Hockey Tournament kicks off today with East Grand Forks Senior High featured in the first game. That’s the good news for northern Minnesota viewers. The bad news is the tournament is sponsored by PolyMet Mining Corp., and JT Haines of the Newspeak Review online site says that’s wrong. Newspeak is asking viewers and fans …
Today, Unheralded.fish adds a main ingredient to the site’s food content. Justin Welsh practices what he preaches. Welsh, you see, is a professional chef. A native of Grand Forks, Welsh has been working in kitchens for 20 years. In 2004, he attended school at Western Culinary Institute, a Le Cordon Bleu program in Portland, the largest city in one of …
A slow climb into the 30s by week’s end Meteorologist Paul Huttner says people in the North only have one or two more corners to turn before temps rise and mosquitoes and ticks think about hatching, assuming moisture conditions will allow that to happen. I’m still concerned about the potential for growing drought this spring if the usually reliable spring …
‘How we won net neutrality’ Craig Aaron, president and CEO of Free Press, explains why the FCC’s decision to ensure fair treatment of all Web traffic on Internet service provider networks is a victory for the public over corporate lies and deception. “This is what democracy looks like,” Aaron writes. “The FCC is reversing a decade of failed policies, rejecting …
Kea snarled at her Master when he tried to get into bed last night. Yes, the dog was occupying His space, which sometimes is shared territory, until he needs to sleep, which is far less than the dog’s requirement these days. At least the spot her hairy body vacates is warm, a good thing when the temp is set at …
Big oil funded scientist’s climate denial ‘deliverables’ According to the New York Times, a top scientist whose research has been used to support the denial of climate change has received more than $1 million from big oil corporations. Dr. Wei-Hock Soon accepted the funds from the fossil fuel industry for 10 years. The doctor has long denied that his big …
Lenovo installed evil adware — on its own computers Lenovo, the computer manufacturer, chose to preinstall malicious Superfish adware on laptops it’s been selling since September. That’s scary. Why? Superfish, “the most virulent, evil adware you could find,” blows a big hole in your browser security making your passwords ripe for theft. In typical corporate spin, Lenovo says it has done …
TransCanada wants another oil pipeline TransCanada Corp. wants U.S. approval to build another pipeline. The “Upland Pipeline” doesn’t have anything to do with hunting game birds. However, it would move Bakken Shield oil from North Dakota 200 miles north and then east to “great markets” in eastern Canada. TransCanada and North Dakota officials provided predictable comments in the story by …
Valentine’s Day in Thailand: You better watch out In the U.S., Valentine’s Day is ripe with commercialism, mostly, with maybe a dash of romance. The day is hugely popular in Bangkok, Thailand, and for authorities, it presents huge hassles. That’s because the country’s socially conservative authorities annually warn youths to avoid “inappropriate activities” to uphold the country’s traditional Buddhist values. The …
Unheralded.fish used the F-bomb the other day in a headline. Kind of. Sort of. The word and its presentation in the headline offended a few of our Fish writers. They objected. Editors didn’t take the issue lightly. Discussions and debate ensued. Many discussions. The process may have helped give The Fish a better sense and identify of who and what we …
Unheralded.fish: A work in progress Feb. 10. The sun rose. A few inches of soft Arctic snow fell. And a wicked night wind challenged travelers in the Northland, one of the most god forsaken places on Earth — according to some wimpy saps — but not us. Up here and at Unheralded.fish, obstacles such as floods, blizzards, discrimination and stupid politics are …
Unplugged: The highs and lows of life without cable Dropping a cable or satellite TV subscription definitely is a cost control measure. The decision to cut the cord is motivated by more than money, though, and most people still want a TV program alternative. Sony, maybe Apple, Slingbox all are or will be offering options. But having tried unplugging, one writer …
Keystone XL Pipeline: TransCanada huffs and puffs TransCanada may be getting nervous. The company’s announcement it may ship tar sands oil by rail is hog wash and here’s why: The economics don’t compute and the company may be rethinking the pipeline battle altogether. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-steyer/transcanada-cant-change-facts-about-keystone-xl_b_6626340.html Star Trek’s hope for humanity will come true. If not … In 30 years: “No …
GF tops list of hockey mad cities Grand Forks, according to a fresh survey, ranks at the top of the pile for watching hockey — college, pro or minor league. The ranking combines scores for “fan intensity” with “quality of life.” Bemidji and St. Paul also made the top 20 list. http://www.startribune.com/local/290957391.html
Water drained from land can mean trouble downstream These days, there’s no such thing as a gentle rain. In response to heavy spring, summer and fall downpours, another climate change indicator, farmers have added thousands of miles of drain tile under fields to direct water to ditches and ultimately to rivers. The consequences to both farmers and the land are …
Her life with anti-vaxxers A writer contributes a different spin to what clearly is a hot topic in the U.S.: vaccinations. She suggests, “While you’re puzzling over who could be so stupid as to do this despicable thing — opening the door to disease — consider my story.” http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2015/02/anti_vaxxers_and_the_measles_outbreak_understanding_why_parents_don_t_vaccinate.html Monsanto’s latest GMO product compounds an already complex mess Proponents of …
Follow this link to read in 22 sentences everything you didn’t know about the groundhog. By the way, Punxsutawney Phil, the rodent prognosticator of spring, saw his shadow Monday morning. And that, as most of the U.S. fears, means six more weeks of winter. For those of us who live in the Northland, that’s an early spring. Bring it on. http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/groundhogs-explained.html …
If you’re a University of North Dakota sports fan, you’ve probably seen Russell Hons shooting action at various events. This morning, Unheralded.fish launched a slide show of photos Hons shot at Saturday’s UND vs. Idaho State basketball game. A little background about Russ: He has been a private investigator in Grand Forks for the past 25 years and honed his …
Neil LeVang: Champagne music and beyond Neil LeVang left Bemidji, Minn., for California in 1945. The self-taught guitarist joined the Lawrence Welk family in 1959 and went on to carve an illustrious career as he mastered many styles of music including jazz, country, early rock and roll — even funk. Read about his life story in Vintage Guitar Magazine at… …
Welcome, Nancy Edmonds Today Unherald.fish adds another writer, and we think you’ll enjoy her first column. It’s about what retail stores these days call overpriced boots “footwear.” Back then, we called them galoshes. Her bio reads: “Rather than being “unheralded,” you might call Nancy Edmonds Hanson “reforumed.” The Forum, the Fargo, N.D., newspaper, hired her at 17, “launching the shyest …
The $1 million guitar This Fender guitar was a hit at the 2015 NAMM Show in California last week. According to the Los Angeles Times, “The Pine Cone Stratocaster … is decorated with 550 diamonds and incorporates 10 feet of 18-karat gold wire ribbon inlay on a single-piece maple body.” http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-fender-stratocaster-pine-cone-faberge-custom-20150124-story.html As airline passenger seating shrinks, spies fly to report …
We at Unheralded.fish are thrilled to welcome Terry Dullum to the site. Who hasn’t heard the name Terry Dullum? Anyone who has owned a TV the last 40 years knows the name and the face. Dullum recently completed four decades of television broadcast service as anchor, producer and reporter with WDAZ-TV in Grand Forks. He was part of a newsroom that …
Read what these new writers have to say Today, Unheralded.fish announces the arrival of two new writers, Jim Fuglie, who calls western North Dakota home, and Kim Yeager of the Twin Cities, Welcome to the show. ABOUT JIM Jim Fuglie is a native of Hettinger, ND, a U.S. Navy veteran (1968-1972) and majored in communications at Dickinson State College (now …
Old news: Patriots and Belichick may have cheated again The NFL football dynasty known as the New England Patriots may have cheated in their win against Indianaplis, according to ESPN. The league is investigating whether 11 of the Patriots’ 12 allotted game footballs were under-inflated by 2 pounds per square inch of air. http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/289208261.html?page=1&c=y NASA photo will jolt your sense …
Unheralded.Fish will enter its second week of publication on Tuesday. Staff writers have used Facebook to advertise the launch and already, hundreds of readers have discovered us. We’ve got a few surprises in store this week. Unheralded.Fish welcomes Tim Madigan, whose blog debuts today. To us, it’s an honor and privilege to include his blog on our site. A little bit …
Retaining older workers… To some companies, experience and know-how matters As Baby boomers flirt with retirement, losing veteran workers is a challenge for companies everywhere. For some businesses, losing the experience and institutional knowledge isn’t a concern — it’s cheaper to hire young workers. But not all companies share that myopic business perspective and many are trying their best to …
Twin Cities area company brews a lovely stink with roses Some residents are complaining about a stench produced from wood chips at a business in Plymouth, Minn. “Every winter, we’re having to go through this,” one complainer said. “It doesn’t mean we have to suffer for his business.” Many cities don’t regulate stink — smell familiar? http://www.startribune.com/local/west/288491251.html Crosby gives Wild …