The dial goes to 11

There are not many Mormon jokes that I'm aware of but your Brigham Young joke made me laugh, Mr. Beagles.  It must be hard to write jokes about a group that is perceived as positively as Mormons.

Sure, they some quirky beliefs but they seem honest and responsible, if a bit dull.  Or I thought they were dull until I read Mr. Beagles' post about a bit of their history and the Strangites on Beaver Island.

Beaver Island?  I don't think I've ever heard of it but a little online effort set me straight.  It's the largest island in Lake Michigan and is currently a vacation destination, accessible by ferry boat or small plane.  Google Earth shows some of the most dense tree cover I've ever seen.  Must be a cozy place, having only a little more than 500 residents, and a special bonus is the cranberry bog near the middle of the island.


Since the Mormons were settling in southern Wisconsin I wonder why the Strangites decided on Beaver Island, which is a hell of long way from the Burlington area.  It isn't like they called Uber for a ride.  It's an interesting enough topic for further inquiry.

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I'm not sure if Uncle Ken's observations of behavior at the Baker's Nosh truly reflect any middle-class morality.  That sounds like the kind of place that gets a lot of repeat business and, if they don't know you by name, they recognize you by face.  Places like that are self-regulating and folks tend to respect each other.  But how was it the first time you went in?  Did you leave your stuff at the table or did it take a while before you became comfortable enough to do so?

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Very interesting how FaceBook spawned the Institute.  I wonder how many other blogs started the same way,.  Many blogs flare up and then peter out; you can see examples if you use the arrows at the top of the page.  Plenty of joyful enthusiasm on those blogs, but the last posts may have been three years ago.  I wonder what happened.

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I just read that Bernie has bailed on the Dems and is going back to the Senate as an Independent.  Not quite gracious in defeat, is he?  I can't imagine that his many supporters will jump on the Big Girl's well funded wagon; the DNC screwed them and they know it.

Then there's the CarrotTop, who keeps dialing up the crazy machine.  He's stated that he has no business interests in Russia, but Putin's oligarchs have plenty of financial interests in Chump International.  The tin-foil brigade proposes the real reason the nominee refuses to release his tax records is that they will show questionable foreign financial involvement.

And this morning I read that Marvin Bush, youngest brother of W and Jeb, is endorsing the Libertarian slate.

Three more months of this, friends...are we having fun yet?