Do More Than Half of Americans Read Below 6th-Grade Level?

All the time.

…to teach @ Children’s Country Day School

Super nice spring day in the Northland

*The* Tourney – 2022

Thank you, UMD Land Lab – that was delicious

MK did an amazing job – so happy I got to see it in person ❤️

The University of Minnesota-Duluth Land Lab

https://www.vice.com/en/article/qkx8vw/the-forgotten-history-of-the-oregon-trail-as-told-by-its-creators

UMD Students Encourage Gardening in Morgan Park

The Bulldoge in her native habitat

Congrats to the Dresen Family 🎉

Congrats, Carter (and thanks for everything, Trisha – it was soooooo good)

New Bulldoge apartment ✅

https://www.monitorsaintpaul.com/stories/tabitha-wheeler-named-social-worker-of-year,1741

Thanks to the faculty and speakers for the great COVID class

https://zeynep.substack.com/p/the-pandemic-heroes-who-gave-us-the

Back in high school, I loved studying history. Richard Demers was my favorite teacher, leading such courses as Ancient Civilizations, Western Civilizations and American Experience as part of Central’s Quest program. As I mentioned on my biography page, I took eight semesters of history, along with one independent study about the history of classical music. His euphemism for tests, OTEs (“opportunities to excel”), is something most of my high school classmates will recall fondly. They were always very difficult, but I’m grateful that grading on a curve was a thing back then.

Another concept that Mr. Demers taught in “Ancient Civ” was the Greek notion “excellence of body, excellence of mind.” This resonated deeply with me, but Google has not located authoritative references for this saying that I clearly remember (perhaps the Mandela Effect is in play?). The closest I’ve found is the Greek term arete (not to be confused with mountaineering’s sharp ridge separating two cirques or glacial valleys in mountainous regions). This line in the arete Wikipedia page jumped out at me:

It was commonly believed that the mind, body, and soul each had to be developed and prepared for a man to live a life of arete.

While I don’t recall the word arete being used by Demers, I do remember him discussing the concepts of paideia and the education of the aristocracy. It seems there is much more to learn about these concepts from Aristotle and Plato – perhaps some light reading for the long Minnesota winter?

Last week’s lecture was so over my head, it wasn’t even funny

Fall in Duluth 🍁

“COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the Pandemic” (7.00)

Good luck MK on your next adventure – very proud of you!

Thanks, Amazon

Les Bolstad with John and Mike

Up, up and away!

As part of my recently completed online class, The Science of Well-Being, I took a survey that purports to identify my top character strengths:

• Love of Learning
• Curiosity
• Kindness
• Honesty
• Judgement
• Love
• Creativity

There were a couple I thought would be higher, but overall, that’s close…

First time seeing this complex – looks cool

https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-jazz-pianist-and-composer-carei-thomas-dies-at-81/570996872/

Congrats again to SK on your college degree

2020 MSHSL Boys Hockey Class A

So. Much. Football.

The boat no longer goes to Loserville!

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/vote-2019-malcolm-lewis-impact-award

Probably should’ve gone to this

Go, MK, go! Proud of you…

She was truly one in a million – sincere condolences to Paul and the family

Field study to the BWCA for MK

Presentation completed with flying colors – on to graduation!

MK @ Saint Paul College intro program

The snow can be pretty (even when it’s a pain in the ass)

Nicely done, MK – proud of you!

Last year at SES

MK in lane five @ Falcon Ridge

Last weekend we did a very quick jaunt up to Grand Marais to shoot senior pictures for kid two. Sites included Jay Cooke State Park, Grand Portage National Monument, Naniboujou Lodge, Croftville Road, Grand Marais lighthouse and Gooseberry State Park. Not the greatest weather (and light), but we ended up with a bunch of good ones (full gallery after the jump).

Side note: a photographer friend of ours recommended West Photo in Minneapolis for gear rental. I priced out renting a Nikon D750 with a nice portrait lens for the weekend and found the $150 fee to be reasonable, but then they asked for a “first-time renter” deposit of $4200. Ah, nope.

So we ended up with my trusty old (like really old – 2004?) Nikon D70 and my iPhone X with portrait mode. Surprisingly, I was happiest with the majority of the iPhone shots and only a handful of the Nikon shots. Anxious to get my new silver iPhone Xs later this week, since Gruber wrote a ton about the upgraded camera features on that model. Still not taking the D850 off my wish list, but it’s surprising how the world of photography is changing.

Kid two, first day of senior year ❤️

Back in my high school days, I had the option to take more than your average amount of history classes: Ancient Civilizations, Western Civilizations, American Experience. St. Paul Central’s Quest program was an early precursor to AP and IB type coursework and Mr. Demers, the history teacher, was one of my all-time favorites. I also was a fan of geography, so when you mixed in the opportunity to travel that my mom’s work allowed, history literally came alive for me.

This past week I’ve been watching the Ken Burns and Lynn Novick ten-part documentary on the Vietnam War. It amazes me how much I didn’t know about this historical event that played out during my lifetime – especially since my father participated in it directly (and it’s the reason I’m not a native Minnesotan). Now I’m looking forward to lunch with him and having an opportunity to ask questions about a topic we’ve never really discussed much (something I wish I’d done with my grandfather and World War II).

I found it interesting to see so many similarities between then and now politically. We like to think that our current environment is the most divisive ever, but this has really been America for a long time. As Thomas Polgar, the Saigon station chief for the C.I.A. wrote in his last cable from the embassy: “Those who fail to learn from history are forced to repeat it. Let us hope that we will not have another Vietnam experience and that we have learned our lesson.”

Note to self: research how so many Midwest politicians rose to play such prominent roles during this period of history (Humphrey and McCarthy in Minnesota, McGovern in South Dakota).

Last Friday was MK’s first School of Environmental Studies prom, which was held in the Wabasha Street Caves. We took a few pictures of the fancy couple at the top of Ramsey Hill before a pit stop at Big River Pizza and their dinner at Louis (pics after the jump).

Only one year left. 😕

MSHSL State Soccer Championship Day ⚽️

School conferences in Apple Valley for kid two

What’s the right line to walk?

Only one of these left :-/

MK with the Abba to close out her high school choir career (and she lettered!)

MK playing baritone over on the right

MK wins another academic letter award from EVHS

Finally got to see MK play lax (final game of the year), Shakopee South

SK took a study break at my office 

Took the train for lunch @ Cane’s U of M location

Crosby, Toews and a midget Zach Parise

Gonzaga vs. North Carolina @ 6pm local

I do have a dog in this fight

And we’re not talking WELY

Spring break band trip to the old country for MK

Kid one @ Sea Change

MK didn’t think so, but they sounded great

Go, baritones, go

Inaugural St. Paul Central High School Honor Society, 1986

From ancient times – grade school at Linwood?

MK @ EVHS Choir

Gophers vs. The Mount