Tag Archives: environment

Areavoices Digest #35 – Okay, is it casserole or hotdish?

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I had to laugh earlier today when I noticed a thread on one of my Facebook friend’s pages. She had taken a picture of a Tator Tot Hotdish she had made. What followed was an hours-long discussion about the merits of Tator Tot Hotdish and how to make it even better (if that’s even possible.) We Midwesterners love our hotdish!

I remember moving to North Dakota as a kid from the Washington D.C. area. I had NO idea what my friends were talking about when they mentioned they were eating “hotdish” for dinner. What? Like you mean a warm bowl type thing? When I came to realize that “hotdish” meant “casserole” I was all set. And years later when I was introduced to Tator Tot Hotdish and found myself saying “yah, that’s real good, then” I knew I had truly been converted to a Midwesterner (an upper Midwesterner, anyway).

That’s why I was especially attracted to one of our recommended blogs of the day, “Becoming Midwestern.” Enjoy it and the other four blogs I suggest for this week.

Becoming Midwestern – http://becomingmidwestern.areavoices.com In this blog, a young woman celebrates her new life in the Midwest after a time living in Washington state and Virginia. She says “I’ll share my experiences in North Dakota and the Midwest (lutefisk excluded), and shed a little light on the glories that the Midwest has to offer. I’ll try to become truly Midwestern.” I think this is a really fun blog that makes a take a closer look at ourselves.

 
Lupulin Libations – http://lupulinlibations.areavoices.com
Nick Rondeau is a beer enthusiast from Hastings, Minnesota. In his blog he hopes to help people find the right beer for them or help them learn more about a beer they already enjoy. He says his motto is “If you claim to dislike beer, you haven’t tried the right one yet.”

Hubbard County Historical Museum – http://hubbardcountyhistoricalmuseum.areavoices.com
The Hubbard County Historical Museum is located in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Through their blog they hope to  provide cultural, educational and historical information about what they call the “rich cultural heritage” of the region. I really liked the look of this blog. This is a great example of how to do a museum blog.

 
Happy Green Life – http://happygreenlife.areavoices.com
When she was a little girl Laura Caroon picked up garbage in the park to do her part to help save the planet.  Now as an adult she continues to embrace the green living lifestyle. Her blog offers tips and advice on topics such as which recycled bag to choose or how to clean your reusable water bottles.
Lake Superior College News – http://lakesuperiorcollege.areavoices.com
News and happenings from Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minnesota. A nice looking blog with plenty of pictures of campus events and projects.

Areavoices Digest #33 – I love Medora! (and more)

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I just adore Medora, North Dakota. If you’ve never been there, you’re missing out. Home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, The Medora Musical and the famous (and yummy) pitchfork fondue. )These folks actually slap a big ole’ steak on the end of a pitchfork and fry it up right. It’s gooooood.)

That’s why I’m extra excited about Medora starting a blog on Areavoices. It’s just the first of our recommended blogs of the week. Here they are:

Medora – http://medorand.areavoices.com Billed as ND’s #1 tourist destination this blog will tell us more about events happening in Medora throughout the year.

On TV - http://ontv.areavoices.com – Okay full disclosure here. I write this one. I noticed a couple of weeks ago how many movie and theatre blogs we had but nobody was tackling TV. I was also finding all kinds of buzz on Facebook about TV, so figured I’d dive in. I’m hoping to talk about those water cooler type stories. IE: who will win Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, etc. Maybe I’ll bring up old shows or tackle trivia as well. I’m having fun with it anyway.

Nascar Dad – http://nascardadin.areavoices.com This blogger has been writing for about 2 years now. He provides news and analysis about the races and the drivers.

Color Me Green – http://colormegreen.areavoices.com Simplifying your life by living greener. Carrie Brusven offers tips and suggestions about healthier, more eco-friendly living.

Riverwalk Market Fair - http://riverwalkmarketfair.areavoices.com This blog provides news about the Riverwalk Market Fair in beautiful historic Northfield, Minnesota. You’ll also find profiles of the participating artists and farmers as well as recipes.

Areavoices Digest #20 – From Scottish chemists to Minnesota politicians

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 Welcome back to our weekly look at areavoices blogs you might want to review. Three have been around for awhile. Two are brand spankin’ new. Enjoy!
The Corner Bar -   http://cornerbar.areavoices.com - “A place where arguments and opinion flow as freely as the imaginary libations.” This blog has had a loyal following since it began in 2007. The author, Billy Bones, posts almost daily about current events and politics. His opinions are strong and so are those that comment on his posts. (In his latest post, he calls the governor of Wisconsin “Despicably Disingenuous!”)  But from my review of this blog over the last few weeks, it seems the debate remains respectful and relevant. It’s definitely a hot topic type blog.
 
Renew ND – http://renewnd.areavoices.com – This is another long term blog. Mike Williams has been writing this blog since 2007. He concentrates on issues such as renewable energy, green living and the environment. Lately he’s been writing a lot about the Flood of 2011.
(NEW) The Scottish Chemist – Chemistry and Other Cool Science Stuff – http://scottishchemist.areavoices.com. Graeme Wyllie is a chemistry professor at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, but don’t expect this to be a dry science blog. Graeme is a great writer, witty, and entertaining. He’s making science fun in this blog and I think it makes science more approachable to the general public. He writes, “My blog will be a series of (hopefully not too technical) articles on science whether it be science in the news, bad science in the media or just materials relevant to what I am up to in the lab.” 
 
(NEW) Paul Marquart – http://paulmarquart.areavoices.com - Paul Marquart is the representative for Minnesota district 9B in the state legislature. He’s from Dilworth and serves the counties of Wilkin, Traverse, Clay and parts of Becker County.  I think Paul’s blog should be a nice source of information about Minnesota government and politics. I hope other lawmakers will start their areavoices blogs soon.
 
The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles – http://thebridgehunter.areavoices.com – The first thing that attracted me to Jason Smith’s blog was the appearance. It’s super sharp looking! Great photos and just fun to scroll through. I was also attracted to this blog because it’s a one of a kind on areavoices. Where else are you going to see such a niche topic? I think you can learn a lot from Smith, a photographer and writer, as he tells the stories of historic bridges throughout the area.  

AREAVOICES DIGEST #8 – NOV 10, 2010

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it’s been an exciting week here on areavoices. Not only did we host our first ever “areavoices walkthrough” yesterday, but we’re welcoming some new individuals and organizations to the platform. Check them out:
 
MS SIMPLICITY – http://mssimplicty.areavoices.com – Melissa Schmalenberger is a lawyer by trade, but a few years ago she startled dabbling in home organizing and soon found it taking off. Melissa has her own website and has been very active blogging on it. She’s also very active on Facebook and has built a national following. I’m really excited to get her own board. She frequently writes about easy meals to make for busy families, or things such as how to handle all of those papers your kids bring home from school. Great practical advice. She told me this morning, she’s hoping to run a list of Christmas organizing tips in the coming weeks. 

 
EAST METRO WATER – TIPS AND TALES FOR KEEPING WATER CLEAN – http://eastmetrowater.areavoices.com. This blog is written by The East Metro Water Resource Education Program. It’s a partnership formed to improve local surface and groundwater resources through education and outreach about non-point source water pollution. While it’s most relevant to communities such as Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Lake Elmo, Forest Lake, Stillwater, etc from what I’ve read there is environmental information that would appeal to anyone interested in environmental issues.
 
FILL THE DOME 2010 -  http://fillthedome.areavoices.com – For the past few years,  K-12 students in Fargo-Moorhead and some outlying communities hold a massive food drive to fill the Fargodome with food. It’s been a huge success and they’re doing it again on Nov 22-23rd. They were blogging on their website, but we got them to start on areavoices to get more exposure for this wonderful project. 

Speaking of schools….two more schools are on board with us:
 
JAMESTOWN COLLEGE NEWS – http://jamestowncollegenews.areavoices.com  – Jamestown College has now started its official school blog to share the latest news from campus. 

 
DAKOTA WESLEYAN NEWS – http://dakotawesleyan.areavoices.com – Dakota Wesleyan out of Mitchell, SD has also started an official school blog to share the latest news from its campus. This blog is really well done. It’s has a nice look to it. Great photos and good information. It’s a nice example of how a college can utilize a blog to share its message.