Minnesota
Category archives for Minnesota
The Birds At Itasca and Other Matters
Posted by Greg Laden on August 19, 2015 
When I studied the Efe Pygmies of the Congo, I discovered (and yes, it was me who discovered this amazing fact everyone now knows) that the Efe organize their space in elongated linear trails. They knew all about everything along those specific trails, and their knowledge of other trails was often very limited. If an…
Nonferrous Mineral Mining in Minnesota: An Issue of Science Policy
Posted by Greg Laden on February 1, 2014 
This is mainly about copper mining in a part of Minnesota that has previously seen extensive iron mining. Most mineral rights across Minnesota are owned by the state, which then may lease rights to miners. Recently, 31 nonferrous mineral leases were approved by the Minnesota Executive Council, which consists of Governor Dayton, Secretary of State…
Mayday Parade in Minneapolis
Posted by Greg Laden on May 1, 2011 Good morning. Today is “Mayday Day” in Minneapolis. Mayday is a holiday widely celebrated by the community of South Minneapolis. People from North, Northeast and Southeast are welcome, but I’m not sure they know about it. People from “soutwest” Minneapolis ARE from South Minneapolis and they need to learn that using the term “Soutwest Minneapolis”…
The time to buy flood insurance is now …
Posted by Greg Laden on January 31, 2011 … if you live in the Red River or Minnesota River basins near anything that looks like water.
The Wondrous Mystery of Valet Parking
Posted by Greg Laden on January 13, 2011 So, Lizzie1 and I drove up to the restaurant in downtown Minneapolis and spotted the Valet Parking sign. I wanted to valet park because downtown, we’d have to park in a ramp2 anyway, so the cost would be the same or less, and much more convenient and comfortable on this slightly chilly winter night. Plus…
Social Networking is a wonderful new technology that will unleash human potential
Posted by Greg Laden on January 2, 2011 But that isn’t always how it goes. On today’s radio show, Steve Borsch was talking about the way in which social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is playing out — as an extension of social interaction more than as a new form of shopping mall or marketing environment — and an observation I made a couple…
Pandemonium Looms in Minneapolis
Posted by Greg Laden on December 19, 2010 The Minnesota Vikings will not be in the playoffs this year, but the team has nonetheless become interesting, possibly more interesting than if they were still in the running.
What Was Republican Rep Hackbarth Doing in the Planned Parenthood lot with Binoculars and Loaded Gun?
Posted by Greg Laden on November 25, 2010 Tom Hackbarth is from Cedar, Minnesota and is a veteran member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. The district he represents is just north of where I live (I’m near 113th and the southern border of Hackbarth’s district is 181st) and overlaps with Michele Bachmann’s congressional district. Hackbarth is a Republican and has been re-elected…
Sherlock Holmes in Minnesota
Posted by Greg Laden on August 26, 2010 I’ve become very interested in Minnesota history, and by interested I mean annoyed in many cases. The first thing white Minnesotans did was to exploit the Indians. The second thing they did was to throw the Indians out, move them to reservations, kill them, and otherwise treat them very poorly. Meanwhile, they got going on…
We Walk Among Ducks in Wolves Clothing. And Wolves.
Posted by Greg Laden on August 20, 2010 This is the most challenging time of year for duck watching. But it may be easier than one thinks to bump into a wolf in the forest.