Sometimes I think politics just finds us ... today J was flying back to SLC, got bumped to first class, and ended up sitting across the aisle (LOL) from our esteemed Senator Orrin Hatch. During the always-awkward who-goes-first-getting-off-the-plane moment, Hatch told J, "Go ahead sweetie."
Lots of great links today -- so please remember, clicking on them brings up a new window -- you won't lose your place.
Below is Jim delivering the red meat (ok, actually, given Jim's very genuine preference for moderation, civility, and reason, the speech was quite positive ... except when he addressed the serious and largely unaddressed long-term water problems facing western Kansas).
The Fox Theatre is a classic. Why doesn't the Wareham look like this?
Jim drew a great crowd, with lots of people driving a long way across the enormous Big First to show their support. But really, no TV media? Cue extended discussion of incumbents' built-in advantages.
If you have an obvious reaction to the photograph ... yes, there is no doubt that -- on both sides of the aisle -- we need to work harder to get more of today's quite cynical young generation to care about politics. Here's Jim working on this very matter.
After the launch, completely unrelated to politics, my new friend Kim and I stopped in the Swede-settled (Swedish-settled?) town of Lindsborg to make it a real roadtrip. I'd been meaning to get to Lindsborg forever, and I've
been in a Scandanavian mood the last couple weeks after watching the excellent
2006 Danish film "After the Wedding" (plus, a
certain sport I'm not allowed to mention in this entry just wrapped up its
season this weekend in Falun, Sweden). According to legend, Lindsborg is right
near the hill where Spanish explorer Coranado went no further on his northern
travels, having failed to find the cities of gold (and there is more evidence than just the Spanish chain
mail found in the area that he was here) Needless to say, Lindsborg induced
immediate nostalgia for Europe -- including the flower boxes of southern
Germany.
These flower boxes are actually inside, at the Courtyard
Gallery and Bakery, so obviously it was time for a ... would it be kaka
paus, cousin to the German Kuchenpause? Or just a fika, or coffee break? We
started with a lingonberry bar and a kringla (plural: kringlor), an
astonishingly delicious almond paste-based pastry. According
to Wikipedia, many Scandinavian versions of the dessert are pretzel-shaped
(as the root of the word means circle), but this kringla obviously was not. And
upon second reading, seriously, "almond paste-based pastry" deserves
to replace "He sells seashells by the seashore" as the language's
best tongue twister. At the least, German friends, it deserves inclusion in the
MPI retreat ...
Having bought what we thought was the last kringla of the
day, we set out to find the other Swedish bakeries in town to secure goods to
bring home. But here's where Jim Turner, a Lindsborg-based photographer (yes,
he is half Swedish), and his friend informed us that, sadly, the Courtyard is
the only Swedish bakery remaining in town (more on this in a moment). Luckily
for us, however, Jim's Brickstreet Gallery is just two doors down, so he knew
that there would be more kringlor in the refrigerator. It hadn't been frosted
yet ...
And voilà.
Take that Olympians who blog Swedish pastries, and thanks for
saving the roadtrip, Jim. Everyone can check
out Jim's wedding and portrait business here, and see his great landscape
photography here.
I already had economic and demographic change on the Great
Plains on the brain given the talk I just gave in Nebraska, and so I
couldn't help but ponder the matter of the dwindling bakeries. One of the
closed bakeries is now a Mexican restaurant, which, reflecting not only
shifting demographics in the Midwest but also shifting tastes, is something to
celebrate.
But it's unfortunate that what was once a third Swedish
bakery in town also recently closed.
I should state that I know nothing about Lindsborg and how
it is doing, so I hope that this spate of closings reflects retirements or at
worst the insidious anti-carb obsession and not the difficulties that beset
many Plains communities of its size (about 3500 people) as technologies and
markets shift. And while people who know me well can attest that I am usually
the last person on earth to promote ethnic tribalism (as all cultures
everywhere are social constructions), it does seem worthwhile for communities such
as Lindsborg to hold onto their unique identities.
Wow, that turned serious for a moment. Sorry about that. See
what happens when I don't write about a certain barley-derived beverage I'm not
allowed to mention in this entry? Clearly this moment calls for ... the Swedish
Chef, whom we last saw in December making flappen
jacken and poutine in Montreal -- and who came to mind when Jim was working
on the pastries.
And, for additional comic relief, here's a nominee in the
best-shirt-of-the-year category. It took me a few minutes to realize how funny
it was (I'm assuming the shirt is fairly old ...); at first glance I thought
his parents were simply farmers. BTW, an "L" was cut out of the
photo.
I'm looking forward to getting back to Lindsborg, especially as I failed to realize until after the fact that the town also has a museum housing the work of the major U.S. western artist Birger Sandzén.
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All I can add is ... Virginia is a No. 1 seed! Re: the Hoos and Jim both -- GAME ON!
