Category Archives: Funny/Unusual

“Road to Nowhere” redux

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While out on the motorcycle the other night I came across Sandy River Drive, which reminded me of this post from July of last year. I hope you enjoy it, and take the opportunity to visit this marker!

While heading down to the Burnt Creek dock with my boys, I took the scenic route down Sandy River Drive. It’s one of my favorite roads because it’s narrow, straight, canopied by trees, and I have several friends who live along it. Just before I headed north to the boat dock, however, I saw this new item.

Marking “The Road to Nowhere”, this marker was obviously put up by someone who got a raw deal. In case you have a bad monitor, let me go ahead and quote it:

“Until 2006 the road to the west of this site contained 22 giant cottonwoods, oaks and ash trees – and two private roads maintained by residents of this area.

This marker is dedicated to the public officials who deemed “we’re from the government and we’re here to help” – even though the residents of the area didn’t want the trees removed, their roads destroyed, and the new road built.”


 

As usual, I proofread everything I read, and something caught my eye. If I’m right, “Pactas” should actually read “Pacta” as it’s the plural of the Latin word “pactum.” It means an agreement, contract, covenant, or treaty. The full translation of this little dictum is essentially “Agreements should be honored.” If so, all those years of high school and college Latin finally paid off. The dedication itself speaks for itself…just think the Democrats want the government to be in charge of our health care, too!

The road really DOES go nowhere, by the way. I went to the end of the road so I’d have room to turn our carbon-belching SUV around, but not until after I poked my head through the moon roof to take this shot of our tax dollars at work.

If you’d like to find this marker and enjoy the picnic table, you can take River Road north from Pioneer Park, then turn left and head west on Sandy River Drive until you spot the marker on your left. Its GPS coordinates are 46 deg 51.164 minutes North, 100 deg 51.237 minutes West. If you find out who placed the marker here (it ain’t hard to figure out), tell them I sent you.

Front row seat

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If you find yourself on Promontory Drive, you may notice this lone little tree standing in a vacant lot. It’s been visible in a number of my sunset photos in the past year or two, and it’s grown quite a bit since I first saw it. Now there’s a chair under it. It’s a ratty chair, but it is well placed nonetheless.

When the spring sunset arrives, this chair is a prime place for viewing. Somebody had their thinker cranked up to MAX when they put the chair here. They apparently consume a lot of energy drinks too, judging by the cans I saw next to the chair.

This isn’t the first time someone’s deposited a piece of furniture in this area. Before the roads came this far out, there was a dusty old double-track trail leading to the edge of the hill overlooking River Road. At the end of that road was just enough clear space to turn around, and occasionally a sofa or chair of some sort. Things are a little more accessible now that there are paved roads, but this is just a continuation of times past. Obviously I’m not the only one gazing at the sky around here!

Poor man’s wind farm

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This contraption sits atop a pole in the back parking lot of what used to be Berg’s, near the old entrance of the machine shop. If it was plugged in, it could generate some wind instead of harnessing it…as it stands, however, it looks like more of an elaborate weather vane with a nice coat of yellow paint. I enjoy seeing this kind of creativity. Why let an eight foot pole, an old fan, and some scrap metal go to waste?

Bismarck sports a shining example of a “government fix”

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I noticed this stunning piece of work at least a year ago in the federal building on 3rd and Rosser. Every time I walk past it I consider taking a photo and remarking on it. Naturally people with cameras taking pictures in or around the federal building make feds nervous these days, but I saw no harm in pulling out the cell phone camera for this one.

This sign has been held on the wall by a piece of clear shipping tape for at least a solid YEAR now, and maybe two. I took this pic at a funky angle so the reflection on the clear tape would show you where it’s applied. Beautiful, ain’t it?

This is exactly the kind of thing you can expect whenever government promises to “fix” something. Right now I bet Chrysler feels like they’ve got a big ol’ piece of government tape strapping them to a wall too, don’t you think? General Motors can’t be far behind. So does the first power plant to find out that Obama was serious about bankrupting the coal industry, an industry that provides a lot of prosperity for North Dakota. And heaven forbid…our health care system after that.

Hope™! Change™!

Yoda-inspired sign at Donut Hole

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I was having lunch with my friend Luke today at the Steak Buffet when another friend at our table suddenly started laughing. He pointed out the window to the Donut Hole sign, and all three of us instantly started laughing. If you don’t get it, rent The Empire Strikes Back. If you do…welcome, fellow geek!

This reminds me of a post from a long time ago, when I had an R2-D2 sighting in downtown Bismarck.

North Dakota bus stop

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Is it any wonder why we’re still not into mass transportation around here? 🙂 This bus stop sits near the Fort Lincoln Elementary School south of my beloved Mandan. It may look like a bus stop in the middle of nowhere (at least I hope it does, I tried to make it do so) but is actually on a city street, with much of the land behind it already platted for development. Many of the streets were actually paved just before winter blew in last year. Mandan, she’s a-growing!

Another funny personalized plate

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I love camera phones; even when I’m out running errands with one or both of my little boys, one of whom turns 2 today, I can still snap a shot of reasonable quality if I see something like this. A lot of people go for humor in their personalized plates, and this one I found particularly funny in light of the hoax of “man made global warming.” Actually, that’s a misnomer. The environmentalist lefties ought to at least be honest and call it “American-Made Global Warming.” After all, they care not a whit for the dictatorships and communist/socialist nations who disregard any semblance of responsible environmental policies. No, instead they resent their own country. Talk about delusional…

Back to the license plate. According to Wikipedia, North Dakota is among the top ten states in vanity plate registrations. I believe it; at $25 above the regular fee, they’re a bargain. I have a few myself, actually…and many more in my garage that have expired or are from vehicles I sold. When you start licensing five or six motorcycles plus cars and trailers, the price adds up fast!

That reminds me of this plate I saw in downtown Bismarck. I don’t know the owner, so I don’t know if it’s a stab at humor or if they were actually in the audience when Oprah decided to give away a bunch of cars. It’s still eye-catching, though!

Do you have a personalized plate? If not…why not?

Finally got a brain (life size, too)

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No, I didn’t get it from the Wizard of Oz, although some may allege a resemblance to the scarecrow. Ignore them. I got this brain-shaped spongy stress ball from a satisfied client last week after doing a video about traumatic brain injuries.

It turns out I’ve got experience there, after decades of bouncing my body off the earth (and whatever else gets in the way). I’ve stuffed my skull slightly through a friend’s windshield, trashed a few motorcycle and mountain bike helmets, taken a few hits to the head in karate (you can’t block ’em all), and I don’t even remember what else. I probably don’t remember because of my history of traumatic brain injuries! I’ve had some extended hospital stays to nurse my bruised melon in Montana and North Dakota. As far as I can tell, however, there has never been any permanent dain bramage.

Side effects of TBI’s can include headaches, nausea, dizziness, impulsiveness, difficulty finishing tasks, memory loss, and I forget the other ones I highlighted in the video. Strange…I can’t get past memory loss!

Anyway, I now have a brain. Stay tuned to see if I use it.

Something you don’t see every day

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Obviously I’m not a hunter; I just shoot targets. Thus I was surprised to see this collection point at the Game & Fish office when I visited today. I don’t really know what to tell you, other than it reminded me of that song “Fish Heads” by Barnes & Barnes, back in the early 80s.

If you’ve got a deer head to dispose of this hunting season, head east and visit the NDG&F headquarters on east Expressway! They’ve got a bucket waiting.