this is not art

I wanted to make it to an open-mic that is near the walker art center in Minneapolis, but didn't make it in time to get signed up. so I went over to the walker and got a look at what has been a big news story this week. it is the artwork that depicts the scaffolding used in the hanging of 38 people from 1862. this was called by different names, including Dakota war, and Sioux uprising. it made the news as it is controversial to have such a subject become art, and one sign on the fence near it said 'this is not art'. I heard somebody try to talk about the event, and I had to tell them that president Lincoln actually pardoned some of those who were to be executed, most of them actually. in spite of that, it still became the largest mass execution in American history. the news said this creation will be coming down soon, in the next few days I think. this may be why I was not alone on wanting to get a look at it while we still can, and try to understand why it has been controversial.
    I still wanted to go perform, and I did. I made it to a karaoke bar just a few minutes before it was set up for the night. so I had plenty of time I order a beer, I got Hamm's. I performed 'nothing compares to you' by sinead O'Connor, and I am aware how prince wrote the song. when somebody at the table next to me said they liked hearing it, I said I knew a departed friend liked to sing it. and I said in many ways it was a way of remembering this friend. this of course would be bill young. when I went home I did the Jeopardy! online test, the first step in being a contestant, I have done it before. I knew some of the answers but not all, 50 questions in 15 minutes. it was the third and final night of the test, and I had missed out on the other two as I didn't quite get logged in on time. this time, I made sure I was logged in a good 5 minutes before the test began.