My Coloring Book

I think I have a pretty discerning eye. It plays out in the arrangement of my garden with its rainbow of tints. I know I am good with paint samples and finding just the right shade for room. My taste in clothes may be a but gawkish, but even then, it is a choice made.

In films, Art Direction always amazes me when it works in stunning and surprising combinations. I found this web link that breaks down specific scenes from iconic and sometimes overlooked works of cinema - and then shows the color pallet that makes up the visual. In essence, it takes the creative and breaks it down into the logical choices that were made. I found it fascinating and will let some of the images speak for themselves. 

The link to the full article in Digital Synopsis is also attached where it goes much more into depth about emotional responses to color, period trends separates Sci-fi from Romantic Comedies in terms of spectrum. You'll see some wild choices by Tim Burton, emotional touches by Spielberg and cerebral touches by Christopher Nolan

 

 
 
 
Digital Synopsis = Color Palettes

English Urchins

One of my regular Twitter feeds is @historyepics - which constantly finds interesting and often mind-boggling pictures in history. Often it is monumental shots like the last noted photo of the Titanic setting sail. Recently it has been a bit morbid with shots of the back seat of the Kennedy limo or John Lennon's stained spectacles. But for the most part, it is curated albums that hold a place in time; whether slice-of-life shots or celebrity candids.

This album highlights the poverty ridden children on the streets of London at the dawn of the 20th century. It is not quite the imagery of Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger. But think more Newsies set in London's East End. During these holiday times when we think about the Cratchit children and Tiny Tim, I thought this would be a good share. Attached is an enlightening article that talks about the political climate of this specific world. When the poor were continuing to benefit the ruling British Empire, by favoring factories and trade which exploited both the children & families. It was not until the enactment of the Employment of Children Act of 1903 which started to turn the tide for these unfortunate urchins.

Ironically, the photos show more charm than they do turmoil of infections, dead animals & excrement that littered their streets. The photos are mostly taken by historian Horace Warner in the Spitalfield neighborhood. Here is the link to complete feature with more photos and history of the time period. #GodBlessUsEveryone

Daily Mail - London's East Side in History

American Sexual Dysfunction

My personal blog is often a place to share art, a musical memory or general joy in the world around me that I happen to stumble on. But every once in a while it becomes an outlet for me to share something on a bigger scale. It becomes a personal diary where I put my thoughts into word and circulate them with those around me. It gives me clarity; sort of a journal entry.

With all the current wave of sexual allegations, #MeToo, political resignations, and careers destroyed I have been weighing the conversations. I am by no means choosing sides or battles. My method is usually to survey the larger picture for signs of reason among the raging chaos. Every story has worth. But I do think there is a larger epidemic under the surface that has been prevalent for my entire lifetime.

The concept of a Consenting Adult has always been merely a theory to me. The real dialogue between two people is usually less clear. It starts with dating and exploring sexuality in our teens. Rarely are conversations clear or informed. They mostly whisper around the subject and any exploring happens quietly behind closed doors where actions speak louder than our words. So the idea that two people are navigating and "consenting" is a myth.

My late life dabbling in on-line dating made this very obvious. I was always baffled that the internet made it feasible to say exactly who I was and what I was seeking, but yet it rarely played out that clearly. I can't tell you the number of times I was met with lies, dishonest married men, false profiles, stood-up dates, and awkward sexual encounters among SO many other things. These were not with teen children, but grown men who should have been much better at communicating who and what they were.

Later on while working in mental health & addiction, the whole consenting merry-go-round became even more skewed and was a dysfunctional apocalypse of humanity failing at the simplest of skills; speaking truth. Again, I am not pointing blame. But as a society, Americans are ridiculously inept at this primal rite. There is guilt, shame and a lack of honesty that shrouds all choices. 

So that brings us to the current state. There are witch hunts, accusations and pain that are brought into public forums. When the original conversations should have been much easier ones of a simple yes, no, or "I'm not remotely interested" without any sort of apology needed. These are the discussions we should be having as a society and as individuals. Let's behave like Adults first and then maybe we can broach the subject of Consenting as a sexual being.

Flower Favorites

As I hung up the holiday lights today, relegated the last of the root plants to the basement and put the forced bulbs in the fridge - I am visiting the garden one last time. I am a very anal type and some 15 years ago started a data base for my plants. Really unnecessary to anyone but me, but I like to keep track of bloom dates so I know if we are ahead or behind this year. Where I bought the plant from. Are aphids a problem? A reminder to transplant to a better spot in the spring. My inquiring mind wants to know. So many plants, now over 350+; but I decided to pick just 10 as my ultimate favorites. Sharing them with you.

1) Mandarin Lights Azalea - this fragile shrub goes back about 15 years now. It can be temperamental depending on the spring and has survived some major setbacks with heavy snowfall off the front porch. But when it shines, its orange dazzles!

2) Victoria Louise Poppy - most poppy species are either meager and have no shelf life from seed (CA) or are mangy invasive types (red). But this hybrid stunner is giant with its wispy salmon petals and always arrives exactly on time each year. It is just too bad that the blooms last a single day and are gone with the wind.

 3) Madame Galena Trumpet Vine - is the plant that tests my patience. When I first got it from Linder's I loved it so much I bought a huge trellis just for it. But it lasted a single year and was replaced - twice. Waylon did some major damage to the main stem. And I have waited for 2 years for the plant to mature - sometimes they take 10 years to thrive. I had given up until late July when I got huge sprays of the most intense coral trumpets ever. Love them.

4) Blue Gentian - I'm not sure where I got this little gem from. And I feel badly that it has been moved to 2 or 3 spots in the garden. Either too short, not enough sun..... But it has the most lovely royal blue sprouts on it.

5) Firebreather Iris - I have tons of gorgeous spring blooms, but the topper is this one. It is one of the largest and it is not a soft peachy color, but a bright orange peacock of a bloomer. As long as I can keep the iris bore at bay, this one is amazing.
 
6) Midnight Marvel Hibiscus - many people have the tropical hibiscus on their decks that have to be brought in for the winter. But this one from Gertens is a true perennial that has envious huge flowers in a deep maroon red. One of the tallest plants on the boulevard - you can't miss it come late summer.

7) Mexican Flame Vine - I am always searching for climbers that grow up and are space savers in the garden. This rare find is almost always found at Mother Earth. And like most climbers takes some time to manifest. But when it hits its stride on the trellis it is like bright orange fireworks!

8) Cheyenne Coneflower - another Gertens gem. There have been so many attempts at hybrid coneflowers that fizzle and fail, in pretty golds and reds. But this one has the genes for the long haul. Although it is a shorty, the tomato red petals can't help but grab attention.

9) Lisianthus - this annual is a must have each year. Sometimes called the purple rose, although not a rose at all. But it has buds that unfurl in the coolest colors of lilac, violet and blue. Always lovely.

 
10) Salpiglossis - another annual that can be hard to hunt down and must be grabbed while found on the shelf or they are gone. They are also known as Mexican Petunias and look like their sister plant but in much more vivid technicolor. They always come in 4-6 packs and are a mystery as to what color they will yield. But I've had them in reds, orange, white, yellow and even a dark almost black.
 

Garden "Greatastrophy"

This was an awfully difficult year for our MN Gardens. I look forward to them with high expectations - each flower is a gift that has a mere few days each year to share its bounty. So when the calendar and nature sell them short, it can devastate me. On our local front we have had a Perfect Storm to contend with. Our last mild winter had a huge impact on root systems and many with short tendrils took a toll. Creeping Phlox and Monarda were a few that either diminished or went away completely. Then we had weeks of heavy rain. That rotted most seedlings I put in or washed away attempts at grass seeding. It also laid the table for the inevitable diseases and insects that followed over with the recent heat wave; orange rust o the grass, aphids, Japanese Beetles and plenty of powdery mildew! What should have been a banner Cherry crop dwindled with small fruits pummeled to the ground in 2 hail storms. Every plant from Coneflowers, to Roses to Hydrangea needed some meds to yield any sort of bloom. All I can say is thank God I work at Gerten's where I have a whole apothecary at my disposal to play plant doctor.



But the crisis looms on a global level. Lest anyone be wary of climate change - it is indeed a real and haunting factor. Note this article about the Global Seed Vault. It was constructed on the Norwegian isle of Spitsbergen. There is a huge vault underground in an Arctic mountainside which stores precious reserves of millions of seed packets. It was built to safeguard our food ancestry in case of any sort of global apocalypse. Built in 2008 it was deemed fail proof to man and natural disasters. But a mere 10 years later, with record temps, somehow there was leakage into the entry which then froze and created a glacial tunnel leading towards the precious reserves. The vault is now under 24 hour surveillance with temperature monitors to see if the occurrence was rare or in fact predictable on a regular basis. Scary at the least. It brings new meaning to the old phrase
"what is this world coming to?"

Tony Stars meet their Film Counterparts

This is again, another photo album share. In honor of last week's Tony Awards ceremony. Broadway Box teamed with photog Jenny Anderson. They took some of the current season's "break-out" stars and recreated a few iconic stills of favorite New York characters. We have Moonstruck, When Harry Met Sally and of course the classic Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. Here is the link to the full feature.

Tedra Millan @ Present Laughter

Laura Osnes & Corey Scott @ Bandstand

Eva Noblezada @ Miss Saigon

Broadway Box - New York icons

Women's World Wear

After featuring the nostalgia for Men, here is an equal feed for the Women. Although this one goes back quite a bit further through the annals of history.

For some reason I am drawn to the visual in my posts. Photos, art, color - grab my attention easily. I appreciate photography and design as much as I do writing. So this album makes ideal material for this blog. It is from the Mind Circle a year back in 2016. Somehow, they have amassed lovely portraits from a century ago. And they also offer up a global mix of women from cultures around the world. There are vintage postcards from Flappers to Royalty. Here are a few, but be sure to follow the link for the complete digital album.

The Mind Circle: Vintage Women 1900 

Full Head of Hair

A year back, I commented on the trend of Man Buns - which still have not made a positive impact on me. Lately the annoyance has been the burly beards of the Lumberjack look. Myself, I'd be thrilled to retain my full head of hair.

I found a fabulous photo archive of Men's hair styles in the early 1970's that took me down memory lane. And they were BIG! It talked about how they were Romantic in the Gothic sense, going back to Edwardian England. Imposed on the flower power era, that became the essence of an epic Quentin Collins in Dark Shadows. Big sideburns, over the ears and mullet down the back. I saw a Tom Jones video clip this week and had to stop the frame to see if it was indeed a hair-do and not an actual wig. Women had bouffants, but the men were not far behind. Add facial hair and you look like the Woolly Man magnet games. Here is a gallery of some doozies. They say that style is cyclical.... Enjoy.

Wonderful Wisteria

There are few flowers as lovely as vines of lovely purple wisteria hanging from a trellis, patio or gazebo. I have friends who have tried to cultivate them here in MN. But whether harsh winters or humid lake temps, they just do not thrive here. Most things here tend to grow upwards rather than cascading down.

A year back I was in Amsterdam where the tulips & bulbs were the show-stealers, But there was also an abundance of lovely Wisteria on ancient doorways and hidden in alleys. Last week I found an article about two amazing floral gardens in Japan. One is Ashikaga Flower Park outside of Tokyo.It will feature more than 350 wisteria trees in full bloom during this year’s Great Wisteria Festival from April 15 to May 22. Even the nighttime display under lights is ethereal. The other is in a distant city of Kawachi where they have the Fujien Wisteria Garden with ticketed admission from April 22 to May 7. There are tunnels and arcades just dripping in literal Purple Rain. Putting this on the bucket list, but it has to be perfectly timed for these late spring weeks of April and May.

Soda Pop

I have not, and will likely never jump on the bandwagon of craft beers. I am good with a simple Mich Gold on ice during a hot summer day, or maybe an Illusive Traveler - a tutti frutti malt beverage - if I can find it on a happy hour menu. Craft cocktails are great, if you can afford them. Wines are always fun to explore. But sometimes I am met with disappointment on opening the wrong bottle that just didn't hit the mark and then having to finish an entire litre of acidic grapes. I am a freak that still grabs the Bartle's & Jayme's from the back of the grocery store for a guilty pleasure.

But when it comes to soda pop, I am all in. I'm a Pespi guy over Coke. And anything with artificial sweeteners in it, just curdles in my mouth. Sugar rush for me. But I tend to gravitate to the unusual flavors; like a Mug rootbeer or a Vernor's ginger ale. A childish pilgrimage for me is heading West out to Jim's Apple Farms where I can explore their massive coolers of small-batch pops. Everything from Grape to Creamsicle. When I get the occasional horrible concoction, it is only a few sips lost and then you move onto the next.

On a recent flight out East, I was taken by a feature in the magazine that pointed out a new website called Five Star Sodas by So Hearn and Zach Slaight. It is basically a blog listing of any possible small batch soda in the US. They target mom and pop shops that have a Regional following. Boot's Coconut Cream Soda - "imagine a pina colada with notes of pie crust." Root's Soda Kaleidoscope - "like a fruit punch with balsamic vinegar, but so much better than it sounds." The possibilities are endless. The web page sorts them in knowing categories like Citrus, Colas, Fruits, Root Beers....... The art direction of the photos themselves deserves mention. Each explicit review starts with the History of the product as well as where to find it. Then the taste buds are highlighted in Nose, Taste, Finish and finally a rating. It is a slick, informative and playful way to experience the wonder that is soda pop. Check it out!
Five Star Soda

Fear of Flight

I love travel but hate the aspect of flying. Most of my early travel for drum corps and summer camps was via a Greyhound bus. But as a young adult, I lived for that lift off and always wanted a window seat to see the fading skylines and the clouds close enough to touch.

 

As I've gotten older the charm has worn thin. Some people think of airports as a hive of activity, but I view them as a hub and a means of getting from one place to the other. Security check points, baggage claim, and terminals connected by shuttles and trams bog me down. And I tend to have lousy luck with with the airlines themselves. I argue about this often with friends of mine who work in the industry. I understand that in any business there are complications that come up - And with air travel there are a plethora of variable like weather and mechanical issues that arise. Not to mention the millions that travel through the skies on a daily basis. It is not a foolproof situation.

However - it is not chump change we are paying for said services. I am more forgiving of a shut down on the light rail where I have only invested 2$. Any flight is going to set me back at least $250. For that price, I assume to be treated with respect at least. I have spent Christmas night sleeping on a cot in an airport so that a flight crew could rest in a comfy hotel while on furlough. Luggage that is lost for 3 days. A recent "experience" on #American had us on a scavenger hunt @ O'Hare going between 5 gates and 3 terminal wings trying to track down the plane. None of us was told by a gate agent; it was cell phone technology and working as a team that got us to boarding the flight 3 hour later. And I was one of those forced "bumped" passengers on said flight - because the airline had rebooked my original itinerary from Philly to Chicago - in an ideal world I should not have even set foot in Chicago. For weight restrictions! If they can't hold enough weight for all the seats, put less of them on the plane! No apologies issued there.

Not sure what vacant customer service agent I am particularity bitching to, but all the recent viral blasts against airlines certainly struck a note with me. Let's get back to some ethical treatment and basic service for the fees we are paying for. Fly the Friendly Skies - my ASS

Weird Erie

Although I have fond memories of my formative years in Erie, the PA city on the lake; this town is a magnet for all things bizarre. This is everything from the wacky weather that rolls in off the lake to the odd trailer parks that populate the lovely landscape that should be serene pastures.

With the latest installment being the suicide of Facebook murderer Steve Stephens at a Harborcreek McDonalds - the legacy continues. Even his name has quirk written all over it - like a bad porn moniker. And that the whole fiasco played out in a drive-thru window waiting on an order of french fries. Nothing grand and complex like our own Andrew Cunanan/ Versace murders that took Minneapolis by storm decades back. Just today Wayne Kozak was arrested for killing his own mother in Buffalo - he was found hibernating in an Erie hotel! It always has an air of Darwin Awards there. 
Darwin Awards 

This article in Go Erie frames up the consequence of small town/ big town bizarreness. Remember the 2003 Pizza Bomber? Kyle Johnson on the lam with his girlfriend in the trunk? 2012 brought on an unusual amount of UFO sightings over the lake and even reports of a mysterious "bigfoot". In 2011 prison inmate Jamie Cruz filed a lawsuit against Miley Cyrus for allegedly stealing a song that he wrote. Only in Erie.All of this amounts to an unusual season of #Fargo - if that series were not set itself in Minnesota. Maybe at the very least, there could be a pitch for Ryan Murphy to set a future season of #AmericanHorrorStory there - something of espionage, witchcraft and ghosts back to the early days of Oliver Hazard Perry. Dark Shadows meets the American battle fronts?
 
The article tries to explain why it draws "the odd into it's orbit." Erie seems to be a crossroads for people on their way to somewhere else. The article also talks about the economic blight that has been prevalent in the area for some 50 years now and not being able to "break the cycle of the negative." With it's graveyards of rusted out factories and discarded shipyards, Erie was an obvious boon for Donald Trump on his campaign tour to represent the under valued. That seems to be working out real well since then...

GoErie - Weird article

Winter Light

Today was a good day in the midst of a recent stretch of boredom and ennui. I think many feel this during these final days of winter when we are yearning for Mother Nature to speed forward another month. We are itching for green, fresh air and warmth.

Mind you, today was not spring, but there was scorching bright sunlight and the cardinals were not far off in the treetops. Instead of mourning over a lack of a new career or plunging into panic, I decided to take advantage of the day at hand. I boarded up the dog in tow, as I usually do, and headed East to Minnehaha Falls on the banks of the Mississippi looking out over our fair sister city St Paul. The frozen mecca was yielding to spring with cascading water, bitter cold from the melting of the recent snows. The bare trees gave way to the beams of the sun, and I watched the giant sheets of ice find their way into the current until they disappeared downstream. Waylon, always the eager companion, dove right into the frigid water - chasing ducks, gnawing at stalled branches in the creek and bobbed for chunks of ice. It amazes me that the temps of the water don't phase him in the least. Time was at my disposal. And for a good 2 hours I didn't fear politics, MBA classes, job searches or even an empty pocket.

I stopped in at Dairy Queen and enjoyed a favorite hot fudge/ peanut butter sundae. I listened to great Strauss & Rachmaninoff on NPR was we drove the parkway and took in the beautiful day. A prevalent reminder to take time and smell the roses - even if they are not quite in bloom yet. It will only be a matter of weeks. Eager to get my hands in the dirt and the shorts back on. A good day.

Prophetic Imagination

True credit for this post goes to Rev. Jen Crow for planting the seed shared here. I am merely passing the tale along for others to read. Her Sunday sermon was about the possibilities of imagining with purpose. Recently I have been doing some "visioning" in alignment with my job search. I believe that the concept is "if you can see it, you can possibly be it." I am not sold on the concept yet, but open to the magic if it should find me. How is that for noncommittal?

This particular story is a true one of Colorado native Scott Harrison. It is his Carousel of Happiness. The beginning of the tale starts in his days as a Vietnam Marine vet. As many soldiers carry charms or keepsakes to give them solace during their dark journeys, his was not the usual photograph or letter. For Scott it was a small music box that played Chopin's "Tristesse." He carried it with him through his bleakest days and said that it took him to a beautiful place in the mountains where a carousel was spinning. Harrison was one of the fortunate who managed to survive those jungles, yet brought home many of those same horrible visions.

Flash forward to 1986 when a friend told him of a vintage merry-go-round for sale and Scott jumped at the offer. The piece itself had been damaged by fire and wear - only the frame and motor were able to be salvaged. He brought it back to his native Colorado. And at that point he began to pursue a new calling of hand carving the animals for the ride. Mind you he had never done such a task in his life. But he wanted it to be a momentous keepsake for all. Instead of standard horses, he meticulously carved bright, whimsical and unconventional species. There are rabbits, pumas, St Bernards, kangaroos, mermaids - a colorful menagerie to choose from. In addition he decorated the canopy with tiny fairies that fade in and out of view as the ride revolves.

This entire outpouring of joy is now a beacon for the residents of Nederland CO. It debuted in 2010 where rides are a simple $1. I hope to ride it one day. Prophetic Imagination indeed!

Mental Health Diagnosis

Please note, I am not intending to point fingers. Negotiation & problem solving have always been core to me and I guess I like to approach things from that angle. So I am merely shedding information that might help others assemble issues into something tangible.

From my short time at #PrideInstitute, I was given both a crash course and a glimpse into the world of Mental Health and how it not only impacts, but disrupts lives. I am by no means an expert. But I do have a grasp on its bigger picture. From the science side - their experts are certainly the "bottom feeders" of the medical pyramid. If you have a fever - the cause can be A,B,C and the remedy can possibly be 1, 2 or 3. Even in complex cases like cancer or AIDS where there is no cure, the prognosis gets clearer each year and there is no doubt that diagnosis is usually conclusive - unless someone has mixed up a lab result. But with mental health, it has only been in the last 50 years that any sort of credence has been given. Asylums and shock treatments may seem archaic, but look at any text book and you can see that they are still recent solutions. And it has only been in the last 25 years that doctors have begun to agree and notate what constitutes a mental health issue or tried to create some notable criteria that science can agree on. These are the doctors - the public is light years behind on comprehending any of this.

So in most basic terms - a DSM code stands for a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual determination that serves as a current standard to everything from Bi Polar to Personality Disorders. A current notation of DSM V - refers to the latest update of the manual, current to 2013. To give some insight; homosexuality was wrestled with and first classified as a mental disorder by doctors in 1952. By 1972 only 20 years later, it was struck, as a new generation determined it was NOT an illness but a genetic trait. So one can see how tempestuous and temporary this slippery slope is.

Fast forward to our current political climate. Much mud has been flung at the walls, but it is the first time that scientists are entering the fray. Please look at the current diagnosis for Narcissitic Pesonality Disorder. There are 9 traits. This is not just bad mouthing someone's behavior. But trying to categorize it as a medical condition with specific parameters. Take time to read the approved list and tell me if this sum of the facts does not make some sort of logical sense? This does not offer up a cure. It is merely pointing out a roster of 9 possible traits that point to a learned conclusion. If you believe in this field, there is definitely some weight to the argument - even to an unlearned observer.

But because this field of the medical community does not have the same heritage, it also doesn't carry the same pedigree of someone examining a physical chart of chemical levels and prescribed medications. And up to this point, it has never been deemed necessary to ask for any sort of mental health consult. A military advisor can offer up experienced witness. A legal team can offer up constitutional advice. We now also expect an entire Cabinet to lead in areas of designated experience. But never before have psychiatric mentors felt or been asked to offer their observations. But they are speaking up!

So please, just consider. Do not react or debunk. But just look at the facts & logic and tell me if it does not at least offer up something new in the discussion.

Alternative Gay Universe

With all the recent hype of "Alternative Facts" that are now apparently present in the world, my curiosity was piqued by an article that is looking at the Alternative Universe of a life without an AIDS epidemic. For a moment, think about where some of our icons would be 35 years later if nearly an entire generation of victims had not succumbed to an incredible tragedy. What would Rock Hudson look like in his twilight years? What art exhibits would Mapplethorpe be working on? What music projects would Freddie Mercury be collaborating on and in what genre?

Film maker Leo Herrara hopes to tackle this enigma in a combined art/ faux documentary project called Fathers. If these lost pioneers were still alive, what wisdom and perspective could they offer as mentors to a younger generation that quickly seems to have lost a sense of the history that was earned for them? Using technology much like forensics, he plans to hypothesize what they might look like. And by drawing on historical sources of family, relationships and other survivors he hopes to create a maze of possibilities in the present. Think of it as a Time Machine that skipped a few horrible blips in the calendar of humanity. It is only in the crowd sourcing phase, but I can't imagine that handfuls of philanthropic gay men would not be lining up in droves to rally the troupes. It will be set in three worlds of New York, San Francisco and New Orleans where the effects of the AIDS crisis rippled the most. Imagine! The world of Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray takes an unusual spin.

 

the Lobbying Machine

This post is not meant to add to the incitefulness of the political climate. But most likely will. It comes from a personal quest into career, but ultimately leads me back into the political arena that seems so corrupt and toxic right now.

 If you have had conversations with me lately - you know that I'm re-evaluating where I fit into the non profit world and am trying to bring new skills of advocacy & negotiation to the table. They are traits that have always been there, I am just making sure they play a more important role where I land next.

For some additional training I took a worthwhile webinar this week on the topic of Lobbying. And while it is a VAST umbrella, the main intent was to make sure that us participants were able to grasp the distinction between advocacy vs. lobbying. In short, Advocacy is where you have a strong investment in any civic cause and want to make sure you are giving it support in your daily actions. By contrast, Lobbying is more specific where you are aiming that voice to a specific piece of Legislation and trying to sway votes in your court. A key point made, was that any elected official can not possibly know everything in detail about every issue that might cross their path. So in effect, the concept of lobbying, when well intentioned, should be a legal avenue to educate them. And along with this, there are also very black & white legalities over what is ethical and what crosses a line.

Ironically, at this same time I have been informed of the existence of ALEC - the American Legislative Exchange Council, which is surprisingly a non profit itself. On paper it looks fine. It is a meeting ground where lobbyists from paid corporations (with an obvious interest in laws) can have table talks with actual legislators to "educate" them on a broad spectrum of topics; Education, Tax Reform, Agriculture - all the heavy hitters have a place here. But to me, the kicker is that all these conversations take place behind closed doors. So rather than a transparent, public forum, these Senators and Congressmen are being spoon fed language that is meant to favor the corporate side of the conversation who has money. In many cases the elected are not even paying for that spot at the conferences, but it is all catered for them as "resource scholarships" taking place at resorts or conference hotels. Also not surprising, are that the elected representatives in the MN contingent are from a certain Republican party as are most, which does make the bipartisan aspect of lobbying fair by any margin. What is crafted over these discussions is Boiler Plate language already pre-drafted, which has been shown in many cases to have been taken directly back to their Congresses and ultimately resulted in Bills on the floor that are verbatim. This smacks of corruption at the most basic level. Watch this expose from an ALEC meeting in GA and tell if you cannot see the conflict of interest. This is what we are up against!

American Legislative Exchange Council