Cold is Relative

I received this in an email and thought it was pretty funny… and maybe pretty true!

65
Arizonans turn on the heat.
People in Minnesota plant gardens.

60
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Minnesota sunbathe.

50
Italian & English cars won’t start.
People in Minnesota drive with the windows down.

40
Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
People in Minnesota throw on a flannel shirt.

35
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Minnesota have the last cookout before it gets cold.

20
People in Miami all die.
Minnesotans close the windows.

0
Californians fly away to Mexico.
People in Minnesota get out their winter coats.

10 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Minnesota are selling cookies door to door.

20 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air. (Ya think? Nah.).
People in Minnesota let the dogs sleep indoors.

30 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
People in Minnesota start saying…”Cold enough for ya?”

40 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops.
Minnesota public schools will open 2 hours late.

Wind Chill Chart

To help Minnesota residents minimize risks and mitigate the hazards of winter, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety — in collaboration with the National Weather Service and other state, federal and non-profit agencies — is sponsoring “Winter Hazard Awareness Week” beginning today.

One of today’s topics is wind chill.  Admit it.  You’ve always wanted a nifty chart with a mathematical formula that lets you calculate your own wind chill.  Seriously, the chart is handy, and the “Frostbite Times” color coding is a great tool.  Use it.  Take precautions when necessary.

More information about Minnesota winter preparation can be found at www.winterweather.state.mn.us.

Fall Color Reporting

Catch the shimmering wave of autumn color as it ripples across the state during the fall season.

As they have for the past several years, Minnesota state park staff will provide weekly updates on the progression of color in the area, beginning today, as a public service.

The fall color reports, to be updated by noon every Thursday, are posted on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website.

The information is also available by calling the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 or toll-free 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The reports will include percent of color change, peak color projections, flowers and grasses in bloom, and the mix of colors people can expect to see.

Online traffic to the fall colors pages has grown steadily over the past three years.  The fall color pages were viewed a total of 356,227 times between Sept. 14 and Nov. 6 last year.  Most online visitors went on to look at individual park pages for camping information and driving directions, and another large percentage went on to look at hunting information.  Others use it to make travel decisions, then upload their fall color photos to the site when they return from a trip to a Minnesota state park.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Interview with Dr. Michael Wise (part 3)

Dr. Michael Wise is the Department Chair for Biblical and Theological Studies at Northwestern College and is involved with the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition at the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Dr. Wise has agreed to spend some time this week talking to us about the Dead Sea Scrolls:

One of the fascinating things about the Dead Sea Scrolls is that they were written and placed in caves not long after the days of Jesus.

The scrolls are both biblical and non-biblical, written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.  Does this enhance our knowledge of the world of Jesus as it relates to languages?

And would that help as new translations come out from the New Testament to be able to go back and look at the language we have it written in, but then also the uses of speech from Jesus’ day in Aramaic?

Apart from languages, are there other insights into the world of two-thousand years ago in Israel as Jesus was walking on that ground that we gain from the non-biblical portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls?

“The Dead Sea Scrolls – Words That Changed The World” will be on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul through October 24th.  Click here for details.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Interview with Dr. Michael Wise (part 2)

Dr. Michael Wise is the Department Chair for Biblical and Theological Studies at Northwestern College and is involved with the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition at the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Dr. Wise has agreed to spend some time this week talking to us about the Dead Sea Scrolls:

So, we have here a two-thousand year old copy of the Old Testament.  What does this do for the study of Scripture?

We live in a country that is reletively young, just over 200 years old.  The scope of time is sometimes difficult for us to imagine what can happen during a thousand years.

So, somebody from one end of the country might spell correctly a word that would be spelled differently in another geographical area?

How does this compare with other documents that are considered important historically and the age of the copies that we have from other manuscripts?

“The Dead Sea Scrolls – Words That Changed The World” will be on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul through October 24th.  Click here for details.

Dr. Michael Wise standing oustide the Science Museum of Minnesota

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Interview with Dr. Michael Wise (part 1)

Dr. Michael Wise is the Department Chair for Biblical and Theological Studies at Northwestern College and is involved with the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition at the Science Museum of Minnesota.  Dr. Wise has agreed to spend some time this week talking to us about the Dead Sea Scrolls:

Now, the story behind these scrolls is that there was a shepherd boy who tossed a rock into a cave and heard some pottery breaking.  Is that myth or is that how that the way this major discovery was made?

What is the actual scope of this discovery?  Is this a major discovery in terms of ancient languages and biblical archeology?

You’ve co-written a book called The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation with Martin Abegg and Edward Cook in which you have actually made translations from the scrolls themselves.

When people visit the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota, what kind of things will people see?

Is this unusual that such a valuable piece of antiquity would travel half way across the world like this?

“The Dead Sea Scrolls – Words That Changed The World” will be on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul through October 24th.  Click here for details.

2010 Twins Jerseys

The Minnesota Twins have picked out their outfits for their inaugural season at Target Field.  They unveiled two new jerseys yesterday in Minneapolis, including a throwback uniform and a new road design.

You can’t help but remember legends like Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew when you see this year’s throwback jersey (shown above, modeled by outfielder Denard Span).  The Twins will wear this one on Opening Day and every Saturday home game at their new home stadium.

The new road jerseys have lost their pinstripes, but look pretty good.  You can see them by clicking here.

*picture via http://www.twincities.com

Winter Driving Survival Kit

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has declared this to be Winter Hazard Awareness Week.  Of course, one thing you can do to prepare for winter is make a Winter Driving Survival Kit to keep in your vehicle.  The MN DPS recommends using an empty three-pound coffee can or any similar container with a plastic cover to store the following items:

-Small candles and matches
-Small, sharp knife and plastic spoons
-Red bandanna or cloth
-Pencil and paper
-Large plastic garbage bag
-Safety pins
-Whistle
-Snacks
-Cell phone adapter to plug into lighter
-Plastic flashlight and spare batteries

They also recommend storing small packages of food that you can eat hot or cold.  Some suggestions are:

-Raisins in small packets
-Semi-sweet chocolate in pieces for sharing
-Miniature candy bars
-Chewing gum
-Wrapped hard candies
-Food bars
-Canned Soup, meat and poultry

Some bulky and heavy items that are recommended to keep in an accessable place in your vehicle:

-30 foot cord to use as homing line when you must exit the vehicle
-Booster cables
-Basic tools
-Sand, cat litter or other grit in a plastic milk carton
-Shovel
-Tow cables or chain
-Sleeping bag or blankets
-Road flares and reflectors
-Snowmobile suit and heavy boots

Tips, planning materials and other information from ten different state agencies are available at www.winterweather.state.mn.us

Motorist Safety Tips for Deer

The Minnesota departments of Public Safety (DPS) and Natural Resources (DNR) urge motorist to drive cautiously and keep an eye out for deer.  MN’s 1.2 million white-tailed deer are especially active right now, so the DPS and the DNR are offering some safety tips for you to help avoid hitting deer.  Among them:

• Drive at safe speeds and be prepared and alert for deer.

• Don’t swerve to avoid a deer, this can cause you to lose control and travel off the road or into oncoming traffic.  The best defense is to buckle up and brake.

• Don’t count on deer whistles or deer fences to deter deer from crossing roads in front of you.  Stay alert.

• Watch for the reflection of deer eyes and for deer silhouettes on the shoulder of the road.  If anything looks slightly suspicious, slow down.

• Slow down in areas known to have a large deer population; where deer-crossing signs are posted; places where deer commonly cross roads; areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forest land; and whenever in forested areas between dusk and dawn.

• Deer do unpredictable things.  Sometimes they stop in the middle of the road when crossing.  Sometimes they cross and quickly re-cross back from where they came; sometimes they move toward an approaching vehicle.  Assume nothing.  Slow down; blow your horn to urge the deer to leave the road.  Stop if the deer stays on the road; don’t try to go around it.

• Any Minnesota resident may claim a road-killed animal by contacting a law enforcement officer.  An authorization permit will be issued allowing the individual to lawfully possess the deer.

Oh Deer!

Scott O’Konek of South Haven went bowhunting last week and got a 32 point buck in Fort Ripley!  With the firearms deer hunting season in Minnesota opening November 7th, the DNR would like to remind hunters of a few basic safety rules:

• Always point the muzzle of your firearm in a safe direction.
• Treat every firearm with the same respect you would show a loaded gun.
• Be sure of your target and what is in front of and behind your target.
• Unload and safely store firearms when not in use.
• Handle firearms and ammunition carefully.
• Never climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch or log with a loaded firearm.
• Carry your firearm safely, keeping the safety on until ready to shoot.
• Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot.
• Don’t drink alcohol or take mood-altering drugs before or while handling firearms.
• Be aware of changing weather conditions.

These safety tips and more can be found on the MN DNR’s website.