May 31, 2010

Valuing what we have

We rarely offer links to videos, but this one caught our attention. As evidenced by the video, this is a message that resonates particularly well with adolescents -- but we can all benefit from it.

May 24, 2010

Paying for the quality of life

Our neighbor Lorraine Collins always has an interesting perspective on a wide range of topics. Here's another that should catch your interest -- and perhaps spur a comment or two. Her commentaries appear regularly in the Black Hills Pioneer, and she graciously allows us to share them with on-line readers here.

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The other day I met a young woman who had just moved to the Black Hills from the Sioux Falls area. She said she'd been surprised that that wages were so low out here since the cost of living was so high, compared to where she'd lived before. I don't have much hard information about the cost of living, but I hear complaints about how much higher groceries and gasoline are here than in East River.

I also came across a recent report by U.S. News that ranked various South Dakota cities in terms of best places to retire. Eight of the nine cities were in East River, with Rapid City the lone representative of West River. The cost of living in all East River cities was described as low whereas Rapid City was ranked average. Income was ranked low in all towns except Pierre and Sioux Falls where it was average. Housing prices were high everywhere. So the young woman's opinion seems to have some credibility--higher cost of living, lower wages out here.

About a year and a half ago when I was writing a column about South Dakota's economic situation, I found some statistics that showed that people in East River earned quite a bit more than those of us here in the west. The mean salary in Sioux Falls was $2600 higher than in Rapid City and $5400 higher than that of people in "non-metropolitan" western South Dakota, which is where most of us live out here.

This may help explain why some folks out here tend to be skeptical that politicians from Sioux Falls can understand us, and why candidates for governor or Congress from metropolitan East River towns sometimes have a hard time connecting with us. I think it says something interesting about our state that this spring's candidates for governor include three lawyers with Sioux Falls connections, the former mayor of Brookings and two West River ranchers.

I was thinking about all this economic stuff recently because of two stories in the media. One said that South Dakota workers are paid less than workers in any other state, and the other reported that the governor spoke to outstanding high school seniors and encouraged them to find jobs in South Dakota. Since they'd just learned they could earn more money by leaving the state, the governor tried to put a better spin on that news.

He said they shouldn't believe the "hype" that South Dakota is a low-wage state and that we rank 10th in the nation when disposable income after taxes is adjusted for the local cost of living. I looked for that peculiar statistic at various online sites but I couldn't find it. If South Dakota ranks last in the nation for wages, is it also true that the cost of living here is cheaper than anywhere else in the country? Or if it isn't, are our taxes so low compared to other states that we have higher percentage of our money left after paying taxes? If so, is a higher percentage of less income better than a lower percentage of a higher income? The statistic seems meaningless to me.

I came across an interesting chart in a Retirement Housing Guide on line. It ranked state property taxes in 2007 and included such things as taxes as a percentage of home value as well as taxes as a percentage of income. In terms of taxes as a percentage of home value, South Dakota ranked 13th. If I understand this, it means that our homes were taxed more heavily than those in 37 other states. In terms of "taxes as a percentage of income" we ranked 23rd.

The governor said, "The quality of life is here." Many of us agree with that, but we shouldn't pretend we aren't paying for it, one way or another.
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Lorraine Collins is a writer who lives in Spearfish. She can be reached at collins1@rushmore.com

May 23, 2010

Seat belts and your money

Good friend Roger Whorton has written in the past about health care, offering a very personal perspective. Here’s another topic which Roger takes personally: seat belts. In the long wake following a public debate on the topic last year, Roger returns to Black Hills Monitor and shares this pithy piece he sent to the Rapid City Journal some months back.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released statistics for 2006. Seatbelt use saved the lives of 15,383 people. Since 1975, belts have saved 226,567 folks.


One was our daughter, so I take personal interest.


Drivers who do not wear seatbelts are costing you money. Accidents involving those not wearing seat belts cost the U.S. $20 billion per year, and their hospital costs are 50% higher than patients who use belts. You, the taxpayer, pay 74% of the tab.


About 28% of South Dakotans do not wear seatbelts, and yet this group made up 77% of the fatalities (117 or 147 total deaths) in a recent year’s statistics.


I’ve heard the arguments saying seatbelts should be a personal choice, but not when not using belts is costing all of us money, and killing young people.


Are we now turning down $5.2 million in federal funds that could be used for road improvement, if we do not allow police to stop motorists not wearing seatbelts? Sometimes the feds push us into doing something because they know it is for the public good, and will save money and lives.


Why would any legislator or the RCJ be against that?

May 22, 2010

Accessing the unconscious mind

From time-to-time, Black Hills Monitor will share perspectives on different art forms. Good friend Dick Hicks, who grew up and went to school in Detroit, later taking a degree from the University of Iowa, has lived in Spearfish for many years. A retired art professor at Black Hills State University, Dick wrote this piece about painter Roy Kramlich and shares it here.
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Roy Kramlich, local artist, has a display of paintings at the Green Bean Coffeehouse. The building, a remodeled older house, is located at 304 N. Main Street, Spearfish.

Roy, a native of Mobridge, attended Black Hills State University. He is now employed locally. Independently of this, he works as Artist in Residence at the Spearfish Art Center

Roy’s work has been influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, a movement that existed in New York City from 1940 to 1960. In this movement, Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning and Franz Kline have had the strongest impact on him.

Looking at Roy’s work, I see more of Jackson Pollock than anyone else. Pollock, a native of Wyoming, came to New York in the 1930s to study with the Regionalist painter, Thomas Hart Benton. Later, because he was an alcoholic, his family sent him to a Jungian therapist. Unable to get Pollock to talk about his problems, the therapist tried to reach him through drawings, which he subsequently analyzed in terms of Jungian symbolism.

The therapy was unsuccessful in that Pollock was reticent about delving into the contents of his personal life. However, the technique did open a pathway for him in terms of personal artistic expression.

Jung, along with Sigmund Freud and others, was responsible for the discovery of the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind exists along side the conscious, rational mind of everyday consciousness. They resemble two parallel rivers each flowing in the human soul. The unconscious mind contains drives, experiences, and imaginations the mind is not aware of. Nevertheless, they exist and exert their influence on the human being. For Freud, the sexual drive exerted a strong influence on the conscience mind.

On the other hand, for Jung, the unconscious mind exhibits itself in a series of archetypal symbols and images. Examples of this would be the evangelical animals of Christian art of the Middle Ages. The four writers of the gospels have their symbols: Luke – bull (will forces); Mark – lion (heart forces); John – Eagle (intellect); Matthew – (blend of others).

Neurotic symptoms such as hysteria, panic attacks and other abnormal behaviors can be considered as expressions of the unconscious mind. The strange and seemingly irrational content of dream images flow from the unconscious mind. These impulses have been repressed and pushed down into the sub-conscious mind where they wait to resurface.

In his artwork, Jackson Pollock attempted to access the unconscious mind. The result was an art that was non-objective. That is to say, there are no recognizable images from the physical world – it is a world of swirling lines and colors bursting with energy. He painted on huge canvases that were laid flat on the floor. He dripped paint onto the canvas using vigorous motions. One looks through layers of dripped paint, which creates a feeling of space.

Like Jackson Pollock’s work, Roy’s paintings are non-objective and executed energetically. There is no relationship between the lines and forms in his work and the shapes of the physical world. Various colors can express a mood: reds and yellows could mirror a happy mood. He uses reds and blacks a lot. He begins with no plan in mind and states he doesn’t want to think about it too much. The ideas seem to be tied into the physical act of painting. And his source of inspiration is the unconscious mind.

To Roy, experimentation is more important than making a finished product and making a sale. He refuses to add flowers that possibly would make his work more popular. The power of the lines and colors seem to extend beyond the limits of the canvas which is why he likes to work so large. He is following an inner impulse which has to do with freedom and self-expression rather than reproducing an image of the physical world.

The painting “The Cold, Cold Ground” (above) shows a layered colored surface. Patterns of black, red and some yellow lines stand out over a green ground. The lines, vigorously done, seem to be mainly vertical with some diagonals. The whole surface is energetic and full of movement. .

This movement seems to extend beyond the surface of the canvas into the space of the room. The drawings of very young children consist of mainly verticals and horizontal lines. We are told this is an exploration of physical space for them. Also, where lines cross each other in children’s art, the X shape stands for the emerging ego. What does the repetitions of these basic patterns in Roy’s art mean? Is it an asserting of the ego, seeking self-expression and freedom, and an opposition to normal conventions?

On the other hand, the painting “News” seems to be quite different. Instead of dramatic verticals and diagonals, quiet horizontal lines move across the picture. A toned down yellow surface stands in front of a newspaper collage background. It seems almost minimalist (art reduced to its simplest forms). Sometimes in his work, a kind of script or writing comes out of the background. Does this show an oriental influence? In contrast to the first painting, this message seems quieter and more contemplative.

Therefore, if the external aspect of art is a reflection of an inner state (originating from the unconscious) and, as such, not known to the conscious mind, we are seeing a diversity of expression. The two paintings described here indicate this. If nothing else, perhaps this reveals the complexity of the human soul.

The ancient Greeks believed, under the influence of the sun god Apollo, art would follow rules, be logical, ordered, and have an intellectual content. Thus, a Greek temple exhibits all these qualities. The disadvantage of this influence is that it can become too rigid.

The Greeks also believe that art, under the influence of the god of wine and theatrical arts, Dionysus, was wild, frenzied, emotional and sensuous. This type of art would be mirrored in Abstract Expressionist art. Its disadvantage might be that it is too personal and repetitive.

Personally, I find the art of Roy Kramlich to be vibrant, free, and expressive. Examining it more closely has given me the opportunity to delve into the realm of the unconscious mind and its importance for everyday life.

May 10, 2010

Striving for objectivity

As a former staffer with Duhamel Broadcasting some 50 years ago – and as a frequent watcher of KOTA-TV news – I was surprised and a bit disappointed about recent developments surrounding Shad Olson.

Mr. Olson, an anchorman at the ABC affiliate, reportedly spoke at an April political rally in Rapid City sponsored by Tea Party folks. According to the Rapid City Journal, his remarks were in support of principles embraced by the Tea Party. By such advocacy, he allowed himself to be publicly associated with a political movement, thus undermining his role as a reporter.

KOTA News Director John Petersen – appropriately – suspended Olson from his on-air chores, but kept him on the payroll. Subsequent reports indicated that Olson, who has been with the station for about 10 years, would be reinstated.

We didn’t hear Olson’s remarks to the Tea Party group, and our information about all aspects of these events came from newspaper and web reports.

There’s been quite a stir created by this incident. Recent letters to the editor in the Journal suggest that KOTA unduly stripped Olson of his First Amendment rights to free speech. They believe that his First Amendment rights trump the First Amendment rights of KOTA, and that the courts should intercede. I smell a lot of lawyers fees.

Having watched and enjoyed Shad Olson quite a bit over the past few years, I was surprised and disappointed that he would step into harm’s way by getting publicly involved with partisan politics rather than reporting on them.

We believe KOTA took appropriate action. However, Olson’s reported reinstatement may be another matter. IF he acknowledged that his actions were the result of a lapse in journalistic judgment, then reinstatement is in order. If not – we wonder about KOTA’s commitment to journalistic integrity, and our disappointment would be compounded.

In a media world where the line between news reporting and editorial opinion seems to no longer exist, fairness and objectivity is truly an endangered species. Cynics are quick to argue that as long as human beings are involved, there can be no such thing as truly fair and objective reporting.

I would suggest that when reporters and media organization abandon their quest for fairness and objectivity, we all lose.

May 5, 2010

The Facebook mystery


Our neighbor Lorraine Collins always has an interesting perspective on a wide range of topics. Here's another that should catch your interest -- and perhaps spur a comment or two. Her commentaries appear regularly in the Black Hills Pioneer, and she graciously allows us to share them with on-line readers here.

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I heard a rather curious bit of news on the radio the other day. South Dakota ranks number one in the nation for the percentage of our population on Facebook. It seems that 31% of us subscribe to this social networking site on the Internet. Whenever I come across statistics about South Dakota I always try to figure out what they mean, but I confess this one has had me baffled.

Why would a higher percentage of South Dakotans subscribe to Facebook than people in the other 49 states? Are we more technologically savvy, or just more lonesome and isolated, more desperate for human contact? When somebody invites us to be a "friend" on Facebook, do we eagerly jump at the chance because we don't have enough human contact in our villages and farms and suburbs?

Maybe we just have more spare time than other folks do. For instance, a couple of years ago when I found some statistics about life in South Dakota, I discovered that no matter how economically disadvantaged we are, on the average it takes us only 16 minutes to get from home to work. Just compare that with the commutes of folks in any city in America! They may earn a lot more money than we do, but we don't have to spend so much time on the road to get to the job to earn it. So we have more time for cyber-socialization on Facebook.

Another possibility is that South Dakotans are used to small town life, and in a sense, Facebook provides the same sort of experience. At least that's the theory of a writer named Whitney Carpenter writing in an online magazine called Bygone Bureau. She says, "Social networking is roping our personal worlds---all of our acquaintances spread across our lifetime and the globe--into one...small town." She claims that everyone on Facebook is the equivalent of the small town busybody peering through blinds to see what's going on in the neighborhood.

Well, it's a theory. I admit I have a Facebook page, though I'm not sure why, except that some friends urged me to join so I could see the photographs they post there, and that has been a nice benefit. And, in fact, a woman who was my roommate for a semester my freshman year in college contacted me via Facebook. I hadn't heard from her, or thought of her, in half a century but suddenly we were in contact. I'm not sure how that happened, but it's been mildly interesting to send brief messages back and forth and to see some recent photos of her.

Of course, we're never going to have serious, heart-to-heart talks on Facebook, but that's not what the site is for. I guess it's for keeping track of acquaintances and staying in touch, the way we do when we wave at our neighbors as we drive by, or stop to chat a minute when we meet them in the supermarket. We enjoy these pleasant encounters, but we don't expect them to replace meaningful conversation. We still need substantive relationships with people and social networking will never replace real friendship. Facebook is a means of sharing things, but only things we're willing to share with everybody.

Searching for a clue about why 31% of people in South Dakota use Facebook, I did find one other fact that might help explain our high ranking. It seems that although two thirds of Facebook subscribers are under 35, the fastest growing demographic among subscribers is made up of women over 55. I think there are a whole lot of us in that demographic in South Dakota.

Well, this may be a possible explanation, but a friend of mine had another idea. When I asked her what she thought might explain our high usage of Facebook, she laughed and said, "It's because we haven't yet figured out how to use Twitter."

Sometimes the simplest answers are the best.

Lorraine Collins is a writer who lives in Spearfish. She can be contacted at collins1@rushmore.com.

May 4, 2010

Dorothy Provine dies

A little over a year ago, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer shut down its print edition. We noted here at that time that there was “little to cheer about” in its demise – and we used an old photo of UW student Dorothy Provide at work, cheering the Huskies on in a football game they lost to the Ducks. It was a photo from a 1954 edition of the Intelligencer.

Little did we know that Provine, born in Deadwood in early 1935, would soon be passing the way of the iconic Seattle newspaper.

Press reports last week told of Provine's death on April 25 in Silverdale, Washington. She was 75 years old and died from emphysema.

Her obituary was printed in the April 29, 2010 edition of the New York Times.

While she never attained stellar fame, she performed in several popular movies of the 1950’s and ‘60s – including “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” which was laden with stars ranging from Spencer Tracy and Ethel Merman to Milton Berle and Jack Benny. It was an all-star cast and Dorothy Provine was tapped to be among them.

While she also was cast in several television series in the 1960s, it was her performance in the motion picture “The Great Race” that was most memorable for us. Actor Jack Lemmon was at his comedic best in the film, along with Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood. The clip below demonstrates the wonderfl talent possessed by Dorothy Provine.