Dave and Dave Blog

This week Department of Environment and Conservation in Australia needed to euthaznize a whale that had washed onto a sandbar off the western coast of that country.  Initially they planned to let the humpback whale die of natural causes but then decided to put the animal out of its misery.  You would think conservation officials would use the most humane and painless method available to end the whales life, but that didn't happen.  I'm not sure if the whale felt anything or not, but the chosen method of execution was certainly loud and, after watching a video of the event, was quite messy.  The beached whale was dispatched using explosives.  Apparently, the International Whaling Commission recommends the use of explosives to euthanize beached whales that are longer than 26 feet, which they say are too big to shoot.   

The 2011 Edition of the Farmers Almanac has been released and, if you believe their long range weather predicitons, we're gonna be in for a cold and snowy winter.  Looking even farther ahead, next summer will be very warm with average rainfall.  Meteorologists at the National Weather Service tend to take a dim view of such long range weather predictions which the folks at the Farmers Almanac say are based on a secret formula that takes into consideration such things as sun spots and phases of the moon.  Results?  Well, they predicted bitterly cold and dry in the Great Lakes region for last winter while we had average temps and slightly above normal snow fall.  The Almanac also said the northeastern U-S would be average for temps and precipitation.  But records were broken for seasonal snowfall in New York, Washington D-C and other cities that experienced several winter blizzards.  Throwing darts blindfolded at a chart of generic weather terms might work just as well.

I didn't watch the Prime Time Emmy Awards Show last night for much the same reason that I no longer watch the Grammys, Peoples Choice, the Oscars and all the other awards shows.  They don't pertain to me anymore.  Of the dozens of awards that were given out to TV shows, I've seen only one or two.  Back when there were only 3 stations and PBS to choose from, I was familiar with most of the shows and was usually watching something every night.  Now with hundreds of channel choices I tend to only watch shows that interest me and very seldom sample the latest hit drama, comedy or "reality" shows.  I haven't listened to, or paid attention to any music that came out after 1980 and by the time I see movies on video, the Academy Awards have already come and gone.  I guess it is just another sure sign that I'm no longer in the prime demographic that new shows and music is aiming for.  Another sign...I stumbled across an info-mercial yesterday for the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast video series and realized that Dean and everyone on the panel, who I used to watch on TV and in the movies, died long ago.

It's hard to believe that over twenty people crammed into a narrow boat can keep it going in a straight line, much less cover the 400 meter course faster than your competitor.  It takes a steady beat and plenty of team work to walk away with a prize during the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival this weekend at Barkers Island in Superior.  The real winners though are the Twin Ports Rotary Clubs, who sponsor the event, and the SMDC Breast Health Center, the festival's charitable partner.  Around 90 teams from all around the midwest and in Canada will be competing in races Saturday and raising funds for digital mammography equipment for St. Mary's Duluth Clinic.  The racing begins at 8 a-m Saturday but the festival starts with the parade of teams, live music and fireworks tonight.  Because parking is limited near Barkers Island, spectators are encouraged to park at the Mariner Mall and take the free shuttle bus. 

Veterans in the area are invited to Friday's annual "Stand Down" in Duluth where a variety of information and services for vets is found in one convenient spot.  The event is being held in the Encounter Building (the old Shrine Auditorium) at 201 East 1st Street.  It is sponsored by the Minnesota Assistance Council For Veterans and annually serves over 200 area veterans.  This year the "Stand Down" will also feature help to clear up warrents or other legal issues faced by veterans.  The event runs from 8 a-m to 2 p-m on Friday and more information is available by contacting the Duluth office of MAC-V at 722-8763.

The Minnesota State Fair begins its run in the Twin Cities this week with the usual assortment of things to do, see and eat.  But be advised that there is a considerable price tag for all the fun you'll have at the "Great Minnesota Get Together".  First, its the drive down with gas prices running over 2.70 a gallon at most stations.  Parking at the fair is 11 dollars and admission to the fair grounds is also 11 dollars for adults, 8 for kids.  Then a sheet of 30 tickets for amusement park rides is 20 dollars (with 3 to 5 tickets needed for each ride).  Most of the Grandstand shows will cost at least 35 dollars per person (higher if you are close enough to actually see who is on stage).  All that great food that is deep fried and served on a stick is usually around 5 dollars and will need to be washed down with a 5 dollar soda or beer.  Not to mention an overpriced motel room, if you don't want to drive down and back on the same day.  You'll probably need a calculator to find out how big a loan is needed to take the whole family to the fair.  However, there is no charge to watch Princess Kay of the Milky Way have her likeness carved in a block of butter!  That's priceless.

As the investigation continues into the source of the egg related salmonella outbreak, two Iowa egg producers have recalled about a half a billion eggs.  That has left some store shelves rather bare in the egg section, but eggs that are being sold now should be fine.  If you are unsure about eggs you have already purchased, you can log onto www.foodsafety.gov for the latest information.  To be safe just remember to cook all eggs thoroughly which will kill the bacteria responsible for sickening hundreds of people nationwide.  Although salmonella may mean a stomach ache or a bout of diarrhea for most of us, it can be serious for the very young, the very old and those with immune system problems. 

The purpose of a vacation is to get away from the "daily grind" and take some time to "recharge the batteries".  Returning from a two week absence from this desk, I arrived early this morning refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to rock and roll.  Then I opened my e-mail program to find over 600 news releases, messages and other correspondance that needed to be opened and dealt with.  My batteries quickly discharged as I was bogged down in that tedious task for several hours.  Just another hazard of living in the digital age I guess, but it is quicker than opening envelopes.  By the way, it's amazing how quickly you can slide back into the normal work routine after 14 days of fun in the sun.  Thanks to John Warren for keeping Dave Walter company while I was gone. 

The Dave and Dave Show is wrapping up a week long drive to collect funds for the Habitat for Humanity "Brush With Kindness" Program.  Funds are needed to buy supplies for volunteers who will be applying paint and repairing skirting to allow a single mom to remain in her home at Zenith Terrace.  Tax deductible donations are being taken elsewhere on this website (click on the Habitat For Humanity slide) and please note which Dave (Strandberg or Walter) your donation should be credited to.  The Dave with the fewest dollars collected will be put to work cleaning animal doo-doo at the Lake Superior Zoo-Zoo on Friday.  Get more information at the Habitat For Humanity website www.twinportshabitat.org and click on the "Radio Projects" button.  Whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated.

An English boy, who just turned 8 years old, earned over 230 thousand dollars by selling 33 of his paintings at a gallery show in his hometown of Holt.  The kid has art critics around the world comparing his early works to that of Picasso, Monet and other "masters" and he keeps getting better.  Kieron Williamson started painting at the age of 5 and improved so quickly his parent enrolled him in art classes.  Within a year his water color, pastels and oil paintings were exhibited at galleries and sold within minutes for thousands of dollars.  Now, his mother says there are about 2,000 people on a waiting list to buy his works, which he cranks out at a rate of six per week.  Kieron's parents have certainly seen a big return on their investment in a pad of paper and box of crayons a couple of years ago. 

Today is one of the few hot and humid days that the Twin Ports experiences during a typical summer season.  High temperatures are expected to reach the upper 80's and even low 90's in some areas and relative humidities will be in the 60 to 70 percent range.  That would create a heat index value of near 100.  The heat index is the summer equivalent of the winter wind chill chart.  Just like brisk winds make it feel colder in the winter, high humidities make it feel hotter and more uncomfortable in the summer.  Since we are not used to such heat on a regular basis, keep in mind it can be a threat to your health.  If you need to be outside for long periods of time, avoid strenuous activities, take frequent breaks in the shade and drink plenty of water.  Never leave kids or pets in a closed vehicle and try and stay where it's air conditioned if possible. 

Tuesday night's "National Night Out" events are a great opportunity to get out and meet your neighbors.  Block parties and cook-outs are being held in several areas of town to encourage citizen participation in local anti-crime efforts and send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organizing to keep crime out.  Several burglaries have been solved or thwarted in recent weeks thanks to observant citizens keeping an eye on what's going on in their neighborhood.  Suspicious activities by unknown people or vehicles should be reported to police.  Police officers will attempt to make appearances at each of the neighborhood get-togethers as manpower allows.  A listing of Duluth "Night Out" events can be found at www.duluthmn.gov/police/nno-listing.cfm