Social media commentators at all levels and news media alike are — just in time for Earth Day — mining the latest Boundary Waters area news with headlines about the latest rollback of Obama and Biden era environmental protections to pristine water quality for what can, legally, be done with potentially destructive commerce in that region, passing the Minnesota legislature by the narrowest of margins.
The reactions have ranged from who cares, to asking if our legislators do care, about the plan to mine metals, backed by a Chilean corporate giant, whose name sounds like a death metal band, and one of the heads thundered, “You may see more walleyes with green, yellow or …” The mine would be located on the edge of the canoe area, so the vote by an edge means we are Living On The Edge, with the various pro and con arguments flowing fast about harming tourism and fishing, and helping defense construction and renewable energy and (seen as temporary) job growth. Those standing to lose this war are the same as always, Indian tribes and those annihilated by bombs.
Maybe they all should just smoke a joint and chill out, then go on an extended canoe trip while they still can, naturally as in the very existence of such long stretches and physically as far as being non-stoned capable. Those voting in favor need to have all their oars in the water. Meanwhile, I’ll go over to The Smilin’ Moose and sing some Freshwater Karaoke, the name of the video deejay, and go fishin’ with some Turbo Lover … of roaring through the Boundary Waters with a big ol’ honking boat with a big ol’ honking motor. Or wait, can’t do that. “We feel so close to heaven in this roaring heavy load. And then in sheer abandonment we shatter and explode.”
On top of this all, going the other direction, Trump has just reduced the strictness of the federal controlled-substance classification of marijuana — for research and not stoner reasons, mind you, he says. So it’s just a token toke, gambling with investment funds like a tarot. “I don’t want much a nuthing at all (from you), but I will take another toke …” Ok, to really understand the change, you need to read the Roman numerals, I to III. Just in time for 4-20, as well as 4-22. So now that mary jane has been declassified, sorta, to be unlike heroin and LSD, do we to be hip and not hippies, no longer, no longer say Cheech and Chong and bong and hookah? But it’s been said this could in effect legalize marijuana in retirement-haven Florida — where people have plenty of investment money?
And 6-1 is the due date down in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield, or is it Greendale or one of those other green one-size-fits-all towns, to get (or should I say buy) your smack-dab village classified-and-approved-to-make-it-uniform garbage can? Does it ever end? Might as well get it over with and spend your money on it on 4-22, after buying and rolling for use one of those joints you purchased on 4-20? Oh wait, this is Wisconsin (illegal), not Minnesota (legal but frowned upon by some not into Mother Nature).
But you do not get to select your own style of garbage can, as in many ways this is not like take and bake, one of them being they will deliver it later — remember that when trying to meet the June 1 deadline? — so if you wait, don’t cook up something too messy, until your ship or big, boat-size tub comes in, so to speak. And you can’t elect to select an even slightly smaller barrel, as it needs to fit the waste removal truck’s do-it-all-if-it’s-one-size thingamabob, and not a huge hookah. (The village is one of the few that still run their own municipal service, with their own workers, and they had for years let some of its residents, mostly older, place a big plastic bag out of the curb, as long as it is tied tightly, in most cases so they could much better negotiate getting the garbage out of their tight garage without moving their vehicle.)
On 4-20, I happened into a CBD dispensary, (while on my way to a convenience store). It also had a special On That Day, like the one that is still going on upon latest look, and was hawked on this web site earlier in the week. While at the dispensary, I saw a customer wearing a Children of Bodom T-shirt. Should I be a bother and tell the owner of the shirt I have for a long time been wanting to check the band out? Like before the last 4-20. And the one before. I decided I’d not be a stoner and not wait for the next 4-20, and blundered forward. His response: “Great band … the lead singer has been dead for five years.” My bad on both accounts.
The small shop, the size of a small bathroom, had three clerks working and five customers. I pondered the wisdom of that while wandering to the next block, to get energy drinks, to counter, you know. So much so that I used the wrong debit card and ended up being stuck with a $35 overdraft fee (reasonable these days) for an otherwise reasonable $20 purchase. Maybe shoulda waited until I got home to, you know.