Dakota Mornings with Michael Bell 6/24/26 10 am

Magic Sam on StartupBREW and how North Dakota is Celebrating up the Fourth of July.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Dakota Mornings.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'm your host, Michael Bell KFYR five fifty am, been
a nine point seven FM. We are and iHeartMedia production.
And we are joined in studio by Magic Sam and
even I don't know what we're going to talk about yet,
though I'm sure Magic Sam has a list of like
twenty topics to cover.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
I sure do.

Speaker 4 (00:21):
I don't know if it's going to be interesting and
informable doing it. Yeah, No, I got a whole got
a whole lot of conversations we can have here.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, I took a little bit of a baseball bat
to the data center opposition and highlighted them as uninformed
and spreading fear unnecessarily without even taking the opportunity to
talk to the experts, which we do here at Dakota
Mornings on a regular basis, thanks.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
The large part to you.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Hey, there we go.

Speaker 4 (00:50):
On that note, let me just say it's just interesting
to me. I saw another thing on Facebook as I did,
about data centers and how nobody wants them except the
rich and the people who are going to profit on it. Well,
it's not that somebody wants them, it's that we use
so much technology that we have to have them. Now.

(01:11):
You ever wonder if the World Wide Web or the
or not not that the Internet like the actual You
ever wonder if like, are we ever going to.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
Get to be too online?

Speaker 4 (01:21):
Well, we're getting there, so we need them unless you
want to go full remote and you know, go back
to the flip pod there.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
You can't have.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Plenty of opportunities to live off the grid. And and
if if folks are afraid of the technological advancements, and
then they are welcome to choose that lifestyle, and and
good for them if they do.

Speaker 4 (01:38):
Yeah, but you can't really, you know, say you're not
you can't be so vehemently against it and then continue
to use your cell phone and the Internet and post
on Facebook using AI to create graphics that you are
the reason that we need data centers.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Well, and it's important to note to that, you know,
the World Wide Web, what we interact with on a
daily basis, whether it's email, text reading, you know, Newsmax,
Fox news, whatever, that that is one component of the Internet.
I'm just gonna highlight another. Uh there's there's what's called
ftp uh fire file Transfer Protocol and it's how it's

(02:19):
how large video music, graphics are transfer are transferred from
from one part of the Internet to another part of
the Internet using what I characterize as a freeway. There
are very few off ramps, and it's a it's a
direct application. And that's another part of the Internet. The

(02:40):
dark Web is another part of the Internet, all of
which is supported by what we used to characterize as
edge servers and now is referred to as data centers.
And it was recently, as you know, six seven years ago,
when you had areas of the country clamoring for data
sid and I want to highlight that. You know, one

(03:03):
of the benefits of North Dakota is the workforce. Uh,
the workforce is so talented here in North Dakota. There's
a reason why the Balkan has been so incredibly successful,
and why the why Cold Country has been so incredibly successful,
because they were able to do it with uh, you know,
with high training, but but good careers that you can

(03:26):
work your entire life and and be proud and take
advantage of that which you've created.

Speaker 4 (03:33):
Speaking of that, that was a wonderful transition into our
first topic. That you had nothing, you had no knowledge
we were switching to. It's like you're you should do
this more often, this radio hosting thing, this thing. Yeah, yeah,
we are going to transition to startup Brew Fargo.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
Yes, I got yeah, I got that, uh that press
release the other day.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah he did. They're killing it, Yeah they are, and
I love.

Speaker 4 (04:00):
I was just thinking on the way here, you know,
panicking on what to talk about, because that's just me.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
But I was just.

Speaker 4 (04:06):
Thinking how cool these Granted this isn't Fargo, so if
you're listening from Fargo, you should go. But how cool
these little programs are that are you know, I don't
know how well attended they are, whether it's startup Brew
or like million Cups here, but there's such cool programs
that it's like, you know, if you just find yourself
sitting at home kind of with no drive to go

(04:29):
do something, maybe just look for something like a startup
Brew Fargo or like I said, million Cups and just
just go and see what you can learn, see who
you meet. It might you're always one second, one decision
away from a completely different life. Yeah, so you should
just go partake in these great programs. Well.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
And one of the things that I like the most
about startup Brew, for example, since we're talking about them
is they're not trying to cram information down your throat.
They're giving you the information for you to make your
own decisions on the big policy issues of the day.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
And that's part of.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
The reason, you know, back going back to data centers,
that's part of the reason why I have felt for
a couple of weeks I'm just annoyed by the bullies
on Facebook and an X about you know, all the
anti data center stuff, because that is not anywhere close
to representative of what most people feel about data centers.
I mean, I get I get hundreds of text messages

(05:23):
and it runs about ten to one people in support.
They're not going to go publicly defend data centers. That's
that's Applied Digital's job. That's the ee er c's job.
That's that's the North Dakota Association or Rural Electric Cooperatives.
That's their all their job to do, and they do
a great job. And these bullies, these history on that,

(05:44):
you know, engaging in history onics is is annoying. Uh,
first of all. The second of all, it is they've
never taken the opportunity to talk to anyone who knows
what they're talking about. And I just highlighted the health
the health. Can you know, I don't really care about
what your brother in law's gardener's wife went through with

(06:07):
regard to a data center in the Okefinoki Swamp area
of Louisiana. That doesn't interest me even a little bit
because it has to be measurable and it has to
be data driven, and that's what annoys me.

Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah, I mean, if you want to go that route,
why are you still using a microwave? Isn't that kind
of proven to be dangerous or health you know? So
it's yeah, there's I don't know people, people, And at
the end of.

Speaker 2 (06:32):
The day, capitalism will prevail because you know, these companies
that are looking to cite data centers here in North Dakota,
they want to get along with the community as well.
They want to have a richly beneficial relationship with these communities.
There is no value to them looting and pillaging these communities.

(06:52):
There is absolutely no value. And we lean and we
need look no further than Continental Resources horizontal drilling, big
big deal. There were folks that were opposed to the Bakan,
that we opposed the expansion of the Bakan, but that
trust relationship prevailed and Continental Resources has been an incredible
asset to not only North Dakota but the communities in

(07:14):
which it exists in North Dakota for thirty years. And
that's how these folks look at it. They want to
have a long term, mutually beneficial relationship.

Speaker 4 (07:23):
And they're not going to thrive if the communities they're
in are not thriving.

Speaker 3 (07:28):
And so you know, and didn't. Wasn't an Applied Digital
that purchased the grocery store.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yes it was.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
It was.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
Actually he's been on the show.

Speaker 1 (07:37):
This is how And this wasn't.

Speaker 2 (07:40):
An exercise where he was given money from Applied Digital
to do this. This was he and his wife decided,
He and his family decided that they wanted to purchase
the grocery store. And they did. And they did it
without fanfare. They didn't do, you know, any of the
big deal. They just they find him paperwork. I think
the first time that the Nick talked about it was

(08:01):
here on Dakota Mornings.

Speaker 4 (08:03):
Yeah, And I mean that is the salt of the
earth kind of people. Those are the people you want
in North Dakota. You know, not to buy the grocery
store and tear it down, but to buy it to
help the community, that's what's happening.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
Well, and it's also a money making enterprise. This young
man and his family decided that, hey, you know what,
I understand that people are getting out of it, but
we can make a buck doing this. It's the same
mentality that went for you know, Rainbow Energy purchasing purchasing
coal Creek Station, the same mentality. You know that gre
couldn't make money off of it, but Rainbow Energy decided,

(08:38):
hey we can.

Speaker 3 (08:40):
Capitalism, baby, I know it works.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
And every it's a it's a solution to every problem.
Really is that? And cupcakes? Well, white cheet cake.

Speaker 4 (08:48):
White sheep cake. Interesting, I love white. That's that's fun. Interesting? Cool. Well,
how did we get from data centers to startup brew?

Speaker 3 (08:59):
Back today?

Speaker 4 (09:00):
Ata centers? Anyway back to startup brew? We right before
the commercial break. They are having another startup brew today
Wednesday the twenty fourth Broadway Square in Fargo. If you
are in Fargo, go join the people on deck today.
To be featured are ron Bergen and brooks Burgum. Ron

(09:23):
Bergen created a board game type thing that can be
used in the car when you're waiting in line with
the kids. Whatever it is, ages five to one hundred
and five. Wow, my computer just went to sleep. Okay,
here we are.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
It's called tick stack toe, and.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
We will stack toe.

Speaker 3 (09:41):
We'll learn about a little bit about that after the break.

Speaker 4 (09:43):
And then we have Brooks Burgum who co founded long Water,
which is a private equity firm, and I believe they
just pushed a total capital under management past one billion dollars.
That's impressive, very impressive. So and I believe you know
we know the name Burgham. It is Doug Bergham's cousin. Oh.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
Okay, I was gonna I was gonna ask that question
whether there was any relation there.

Speaker 4 (10:09):
I figured there would be a question of that. So, yep,
they are cousins. They are both very.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
Interesting spirit, really strong.

Speaker 3 (10:17):
Real deep in the Burgham family.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah, and highlighted by startup brew who is who goes
out of their way to highlight and elevate entrepreneurs here
in North Dakota, which is great. Could not be better
positioned and better thought through.

Speaker 1 (10:32):
We need to go to a commercial break.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
This is Dakota Morning ZIMR host Michael Bell kf y
R five fifty am, not a nine point seven FM.
I'm joined in studio by Magic Sam. We're plombing through
our list of topics and topics of the day to
discuss Welcome back to you, Dakota morning Zimer host Michael
Bell k f y R five fifty AM nine to
nine point seven FM. We are and i R Media
Production joined in studio by Magic Sam. She's put together

(10:57):
a list with the assistance of Chat, shept Ip Zoom,
Claude Clode.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
Okay, you know same thing, Fine, you know, different program.

Speaker 2 (11:05):
I tend to I tend to go to Grock, but
actually I don't. I don't go to any of them.
I don't use any of them because everybody I know
uses them and so I don't need to.

Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yeah, there you go. Like me, I think we're gonna.

Speaker 2 (11:18):
Have to build an entire data center just for Magic
Sam's adventures in uh in in the interwebs.

Speaker 4 (11:25):
Hey, I'm just using the resources that are available to
me to make my life more efficient.

Speaker 2 (11:31):
So, you know, let's uh let's get let's keep talking
about Startup prow which I just again, you have such
an incredible organization that highlights entrepreneurs and highlights that entrepreneurial
spirit which is so retlent here in North Dakota that
I think it needs used to be and and we're
going to do it here on the Code of Mornings.

(11:51):
It just needs to be talked about more.

Speaker 4 (11:53):
Mm hmmm amen, So we will talk continue to talk
about these two gentlemen. I I love games. I love
board games. I love it. Oh really, no, man, Well, I.

Speaker 2 (12:06):
Got PTSD from my childhood.

Speaker 4 (12:10):
Games can ruin families? Caton about ruined mine? I hope
none of my family is listening. But anyway, hopefully this
game will not ruin any families, although maybe it could
start some fights on road trips.

Speaker 3 (12:25):
Yeah, yeah, right, why not? You got to figure it
out or you know whatever. But Ron Bergen created Ticks
Stack Toe.

Speaker 4 (12:34):
It is a three D printed game which I thought
was pretty neat. It is a kind of a revamp
on the classic Tic Tac toe, and it is it's
a similar concept.

Speaker 3 (12:49):
I was looking it up.

Speaker 4 (12:50):
So you you know, you put your piece in the
hex that you want.

Speaker 3 (12:55):
You know, you know how to play. Everyone knows.

Speaker 4 (12:57):
How However, in this game you get smaller pieces and
bigger pieces, and you can put the bigger pieces over
top smaller pieces to trump.

Speaker 3 (13:07):
The other pieces.

Speaker 4 (13:10):
I did not read of how to do like a
full start to finish to the game. But I would
assume that you know, the one who makes the line wins.
I don't know how you can, you know, put pieces over.
I haven't looked that deep into it, but I kind
of want to purchase it and try it since you
know it's a maker in North Dakota.

Speaker 3 (13:30):
So why wouldn't we support that?

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Okay, so At, you're my next staff meeting, your tasked
with purchasing the game, and we're gonna play it and
we're gonna have a big fight about it too.

Speaker 4 (13:40):
It's gonna be awesome, great, and we could we could
even have Ron Bergen on if you're listening. Oh, we're
gonna have you on. We're gonna play tick stack toe,
so I'll call you. I don't know your Nmber, but
I'll figure it out.

Speaker 3 (13:54):
But yeah, it's a travel size board game, and.

Speaker 4 (13:57):
You know it's a I think it's I think it
mentioned he's a retired Fargo inventor and entrepreneur, and it
just goes to show that you can always do new things.
Doesn't matter. You don't have to be in your early twenties.
If you make some cool thing, you can be retired
and you know, so just very cool, very cool.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yeah, and again I'm going to highlight startup room.

Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yep, startup room. The second guest is Brooksburg.

Speaker 4 (14:25):
Like I mentioned, he he's a co founder of long
Water along with Jordan be Beth Stable.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
I don't know, and I want to know how the
name came about long Water. There has to be a
story behind that.

Speaker 3 (14:40):
There has to be.

Speaker 4 (14:41):
I don't know that actually, I don't think. But we'll
have him on and we'll ask.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
Him first questions. I'm gonna ask him ye up with
the name?

Speaker 4 (14:51):
You know, name naming companies are tough like all that
is a great because I when I try to name
mine for the first time, well it I don't even know.

Speaker 3 (15:00):
You think it's fun, but it's not. But AnyWho, Yeah, not.

Speaker 2 (15:04):
Sure the mindset all the companies that I'm named. Just
keep it real simple, just keep it nice and simple.

Speaker 4 (15:09):
Yeah, I mean I'm complicated. I'm a lady, so we
got to make things complicated.

Speaker 3 (15:15):
But yeah, it's like.

Speaker 4 (15:16):
I said, private equity firm highlighted at startup Brew. I
don't have as much information on this just because it's
harder to understand.

Speaker 3 (15:26):
But if you're.

Speaker 2 (15:27):
Going, if you're if you're in Fargo, or you plan
to be in Fargo today, go to this event, take
good notes, and then pass them on to Magic Sam. Yes,
so we can talk more intelligently about this.

Speaker 4 (15:39):
Yes, and get these gentlemen's numbers so we can get
them on the radio.

Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, that's exactly.

Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yeah. And it's also kind of cool too.

Speaker 4 (15:45):
It is to kind of tie in long Water and
you know, entrepreneurship. It's it's just cool to see a
billion dollar company like that come out of none other
than Fargo, North Dakota and s it's under management.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
A billion dollars is nothing to sneeze it. That's a
pretty weighty, pretty sizable trust that has been placed in
this company.

Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (16:08):
And one thing I like about North Dakota too, is like,
you know, you have all these entrepreneurs that have billion
dollar companies, and you know, you wouldn't know it. We're
a very home holy I was going to say homely,
wholesome state.

Speaker 3 (16:21):
We are very you know, what's it called down to earth,
down to earth people. And so it's just cool to
see something like that come out in North Dakota. We
are real.

Speaker 2 (16:31):
One of the things that one of the characterizations of
Washington d C. That I particularly loved was Washington, d
C is sixty miles surrounded by reality. The Beltway around
Washington d C four and eighty five is about sixty miles,
and so I always love that characterization of sixty miles
surrounded by reality.

Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, that's pretty neat because it is such.

Speaker 2 (16:52):
A suspended world in Washington, d C. And it's really important.
And I like the fact that I know it's a
drag and it's a hassle for or representatives and senators
to constantly travel back to their diistics, especially ones in
like Arizona and in Texas and things of that nature.
I know it's difficult, Uh, transportation is difficult, but it's

(17:13):
really really important to get outside of that bubble. And
I find that the more successful elected officials are those
who find who get outside of the bubble on a
regular basis. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (17:25):
I went to d C not that a couple of
years ago, and it it really is a bubble. Like
everywhere you go there's conversations, you know, bars, restaurants, wherever,
there's always conversations of politics, government, you know, just politicians,
that kind of thing, which I loved because that's my
whole you know, that's my whole bread and butter.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
But it's I could see how it could be very.

Speaker 4 (17:50):
Easy to kind of get pushed into an echo chamber
that is d C, and it's very important.

Speaker 2 (17:55):
To get out and and and the part that's most
negative about it is that the folks who don't get
outside the bubble tend to think that the only good
solutions come from those in the bubble, when in fact,
the only good solutions come from those outside the bubble
because of perspective, So we need to go to commercial break.

(18:18):
This is Dakota Morning xime Your host Michael Bell k
Why are five fifty AM not a nine point seven FM?
We were joined in studio by Magic Sam, and we're
making it through our list of topics to discuss.

Speaker 1 (18:28):
Welcome back to Dakota Morning XIEME.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
Your host Michael Bell KF Why are five fifty am
not a nine point seven FM? Joined in studio by
Magic Sam. We're talking about all things related to things.
I characterized this when we went to break. I characterized
this as a really really advanced episode of Seinfeld, which
I love, But I did I came up with something

(18:51):
that I do want to talk about because it was
a wonderful conversation I had with my stepdaughter Eva yesterday.
She is a rodeo fan. She is a a horse,
you know, outdoors, wrote she was born for this, incredibly
talented in a heck of a golfer two. But she
is going to the Mandan Rodeo and is really excited,

(19:15):
you know, and and wanted to tell me about how
excited she is. She and her dad and her dad's wife,
and I believe the guy maybe she's talking to you
or something like that. Unfortunately, Jessica doesn't listen. Neither do
the girls.

Speaker 3 (19:31):
So this works out really well, wonderful. You hope that
guy's not listening neither.

Speaker 2 (19:35):
Now. Now their grandmother listens on a regular basis, so
you know, whether or not she drops the dish on
drops the tea on them, I you know, it remains
to be seen.

Speaker 1 (19:46):
But anyway, I wanted to talk this is.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
And we had Will saller On from Fanatics talking about
talking about the all the stuff that's going on in
Mandan on July fourth. I just wanted to take a
second highlight that because the rodeo is one component and
this rodeo, the Mandan Rodeo, is one of the premiere
rodeos in the country.

Speaker 3 (20:11):
I'm going to do you one better.

Speaker 4 (20:13):
It is.

Speaker 2 (20:13):
Well you're a resident of Mandans.

Speaker 3 (20:15):
Well, sure, thank you.

Speaker 4 (20:16):
It is one of the oldest rodeos in the world.

Speaker 3 (20:21):
Oh who in the entire world. It's not the oldest.

Speaker 4 (20:24):
It's often mischaracterized as that, but it is one of
the oldest still running rodeos.

Speaker 2 (20:30):
Contus rodeos yep.

Speaker 4 (20:31):
It has started in eighteen seventy nine. Wow, as a
Fourth of July celebration, ten.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
Years before North Kota became a state.

Speaker 3 (20:38):
Yeah, sure did so. That's interesting.

Speaker 4 (20:40):
I wonder how that how that works with whatever. It
doesn't matter, but very cool, very big rodeo. I I
love the rodeo. I am with Eva. Oh so fun.
If you've never been to a rodeo, you have to go.
You might think, oh, it's not my thing. I'm not,
you know, not a big farm person.

Speaker 3 (21:01):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (21:01):
I don't know what people think these days, but they are.
It is so fun, especially this one. I've been to
this one quite a few times. It's a blast.

Speaker 3 (21:10):
It is so cool. It's exhilarating, thrilling, so much fun.

Speaker 2 (21:14):
Well, I like the differentiation between what is it rough stock,
which is like a bull riding and things like that,
which I had the great good fortune of doing one time.
My father in law is still participates in rodeos, and
I just like that anybody.

Speaker 1 (21:31):
Can do it at any age.

Speaker 3 (21:33):
Mm hmm, Yeah, I was.

Speaker 2 (21:35):
I was telling Jessica the other night that that I
feel like I have taken one step in the in
the very long journey, which will be me becoming more
deeply appreciative of cowboys. Because I watched the College finals
rodeo the other night.

Speaker 3 (21:54):
Oh wow, I think we need to get Michael Bell
on a bowl again. I think or or BRONC. You
don't have to do it ever again, I do it again.

Speaker 2 (22:03):
Ye.

Speaker 3 (22:04):
But yeah, there is a I flew through the air.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
I feel like I flew one hundred and fifty yards.

Speaker 4 (22:09):
I mean, yeah, that's the kind of thrilling part of it.
I mean, this is well bad well yeah, I mean
for the riders, it's thrilling, and then not so thrilling
if anything happens before the audience.

Speaker 3 (22:21):
It is just it's like it's like the circus for adults.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
Yeah, kind of.

Speaker 3 (22:26):
I mean I guess that they have those are.

Speaker 2 (22:29):
Some incredible athletes, and those are tough, tough human beings.

Speaker 3 (22:34):
Oh yeah, big time.

Speaker 4 (22:35):
So they have a whole you know, they have a
whole string of events. So they have bronc riding, bull riding,
barrel wrestling, steer steer wrestling. There is one hundred and
sixty thousand dollars prize money.

Speaker 3 (22:48):
Fun fact.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
Cool.

Speaker 3 (22:49):
And they have mutton busting, which is the best thing.

Speaker 4 (22:53):
If you don't know what that is, it is little
kids holding on to running.

Speaker 3 (22:57):
Sheep and it is the cutest thing.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
It really is pretty cool.

Speaker 3 (23:00):
You have ever seen.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
My EVA talks about all the time that mutton busting
is really popular at shudios, which I think is different.
It's like a local, small type of rodeo. And I
got to watch mutton busting i think six seven years ago,
and I absolutely loved it because these kids are delightful.

Speaker 3 (23:22):
It's just some of them get out.

Speaker 2 (23:23):
There just cowboy hat and cowboy boots and they do it,
and others are in full protective.

Speaker 4 (23:27):
Gear and sometimes, you know, some of them are kind
of scared and you could tell that they were probably
excited until.

Speaker 3 (23:33):
It started and they were like, oh no, which is
how I am most of the time.

Speaker 4 (23:37):
But there are some other kids that just you can
just tell they probably go mutton busting at their own farm.

Speaker 3 (23:42):
It's just they are just a hoot.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
So, speaking of which, the Mercer County Fair starts tomorrow night.
It runs through Sunday. I believe I could be wrong
on that, but yeah, the Mercer County Fair. They've been
setting it up for about a week now. It's going
to have. You know, what I love the most is
all the food and the funnel cakes and things of
that nature. I don't really care about the rise of
the games. It's the food that I'm drawn to which

(24:06):
I'm drawn. Love a funnel cake, yeah, no downside.

Speaker 3 (24:10):
Or like a giant turkey leg love those.

Speaker 4 (24:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (24:13):
And well the other thing too is that I'm looking
forward to finding.

Speaker 1 (24:16):
Who has the white sheet cake.

Speaker 2 (24:18):
There you go, somebody's gonna have cupcakes, somebody's gonna have
a white sheet cake. I'm going to buy all of it.

Speaker 4 (24:24):
You know, I'm gonna make you a white sheet cake,
since that's probably the easiest thing to make.

Speaker 2 (24:28):
I dare you you.

Speaker 3 (24:31):
Know what challenge except it, dang it.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
There are no losers in this scenary moment.

Speaker 4 (24:36):
Everybody wins real quick on the rodeo. I wanted to
mention this because I actually saw this last year at
country Fest, but to celebrate well, by the way, the
rodeo is at the Dale Palki Arena as it always
is July second through fourth, and Man Dan, so please go.

Speaker 3 (24:55):
It's so much fun.

Speaker 4 (24:56):
But this year, since it's the two hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of America, there is a brand new headline event
called the Prairie Pyro Musical and.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
Oh, it's exactly what you think, yep, and it is.
It is the coolest thing. I almost said a bad
word because it's so cool.

Speaker 4 (25:16):
And it's a side at country Fest and they were
at Country Fest and it is a choreograph or I
don't know choreographed is the right word, but it's a
fireworks show that is choreographed or whatever set to music,
and it is it's it's more than you could ever
think it is.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
Oh my gosh, it's incredible.

Speaker 4 (25:36):
And it's like perfectly synchronized, synchronized maybe that's the word,
but they it's it is incredible. So if you're you know,
on the fence about the rodeo, just go to the
rodeo and then you'll enjoy that. And then you get
to see this and it is just the coolest thing.
So that will be set for the evening of July third,
if you would like to go very cool, and it

(25:57):
is the team that puts it together is called Pegasus Illuminations, which.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
Also Pegas Illuminations.

Speaker 4 (26:04):
Yes, which also they'd be cool to get on the show,
which also is.

Speaker 3 (26:09):
The team behind the Mandans world record setting New Year's
Eve Pyro musical.

Speaker 2 (26:14):
Okay, yeah. And the other thing that I that I
want to highlight is the parade. Mandan Parade. It's world renowned.
Probably not, but I like to say it is. It's
an incredible parade. The the the antique cars get my
attention every year. It's it's just a super fun parade.

(26:36):
And and they're they're putting it on again this year
for like the four millions year in a row. Downtown
man back to when they had dinosaurs, yeah as their
features exactly.

Speaker 4 (26:46):
I Yeah, Downtown Mandon is the place to be on
the fourth of July weekend because you also if you
can't be Amadora, yes, that would be the id argue
the number one place. But Downtown Mandan's awesome. It's the
parade is huge, it's very well attended every year. Get
there early for a seat, and I think Art in

(27:06):
the Park's going on as well, yep, yep, and so
lots of food, so you know, Michael.

Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah, So we're taking Dakota Mornings on the road for
July third, and I'm trying to talk Gretchen Stendium into
co hosting with me on July third. I'm not sure
I'm going to be able to pull that off yet,
but that's something we definitely want to do. And we're
also broadcasting live from the Theodore Roosevelt Museum, Library and

(27:36):
Museum on.

Speaker 3 (27:37):
July fourth, YES Special Show, and I'm already.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Coming up with ways to describe the flyover, which I
love flyovers. Anytime I get an opportunity to to participate
in one of those, I'm excited. So you know, if
if you're not in Medora on July third and fourth,
Mandan is you know, sounds like the place.

Speaker 4 (27:58):
To be and tune in to Dakota Mornings with Michael
Bell on Saturday, the fourth.

Speaker 3 (28:02):
YES Show Special Show show.

Speaker 4 (28:04):
Mm hmm, and he will be broadcasting right from the
Presidential Library, so I think.

Speaker 3 (28:09):
That'll be very cool.

Speaker 2 (28:10):
I t noon ten Chief, I wasn't many times ten
to noon Central. It's a special show, special to go
to morning show ten to noon Central, nine to eleven
Mountain Time. And you know we're going to be We're
going to be part of that. And I am really, really,
almost a little nervous, but I am super excited just

(28:31):
to be part of that just incredible event. What I've
characterized Medora as the front porch for America's two hundred
and fiftieth birthday celebration. I'm fired up.

Speaker 3 (28:41):
It's going to be great.

Speaker 4 (28:42):
Do you think besides Trump coming on the first, do
you think any other presidents will be there?

Speaker 3 (28:46):
I don't think it's the opening.

Speaker 2 (28:48):
I don't think so. And I say that because my
Social Security number has not been asked for by the organizers,
and that's the first indication of the security level that
would be requests in case.

Speaker 3 (29:02):
Do you want to give it on there now?

Speaker 2 (29:03):
Or yeah, right right, yeah, there we go, doxs me,
dox me and take myself. Yeah as well. That sounds
like a great idea great time.

Speaker 1 (29:11):
I I don't.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
I don't think so. But I think that they're going
to be enough enough folks there to more than substantiate.
And I'm talking about you know, the elected officials are
great and and and I have to tell you a
story about uh uh my participation in parades for years,
but I'll get to that in a second. The elected
officials are great and all, but I'm talking about the
producers who have made the United States and North Dakota

(29:36):
what it is. They're going to be in abundance at
this library, and they are due every accord for their production,
not only for energy, but I'm talking housing, healthcare, you know,
all the all the the folks who have solved, you know,
the problems, the challenges in front of them. I'm looking
forward to that.

Speaker 4 (29:56):
The people who have made North Dakota what we are
today will all be there.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
And they should be celebrated and they should be highlighted.

Speaker 4 (30:02):
Absolutely kind of rude that Teddy Roosevelt isn't coming to
his own residential Yeah, jeez, arrogant.

Speaker 2 (30:10):
Oh do you think the library is going to be haunted? Maybe?

Speaker 4 (30:13):
Is it haunted or is it you know, I don't
know's that sounds scary.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
I feel like Teddy Roosevelt would be a cool I.

Speaker 1 (30:20):
Yeah, I mean, it'd be a cool ghost.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
But haunted, I think is a great characterization and I'm
going to start that rumor.

Speaker 3 (30:29):
Do it yeah, do it?

Speaker 2 (30:30):
Yeah, yep.

Speaker 4 (30:31):
I think that's gonna be great. Not as haunted probably
as the State Library, which I've heard scary stories about.

Speaker 1 (30:36):
Really.

Speaker 2 (30:36):
Oh yeah, I've been to the State Library. It's not haunted.

Speaker 3 (30:39):
You ever go there after hours? It neither. No, I
don't know. I've heard weird things.

Speaker 2 (30:44):
Okay, now, challenge accepted.

Speaker 3 (30:48):
There you go.

Speaker 1 (30:49):
This is Dakota Mornings.

Speaker 2 (30:50):
I am your host, Michael Bell kfy R five fifty
AM not A nine point seven FM.

Speaker 1 (30:55):
We're joined by Magic.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
Stam in studio. We're going through her list one at
a time. I think we have progressed nicely through this list,
so we will be back after this short commercial break.
Welcome back to Dakota Mornings. I'm your host, Michael Bell.
I am joined in studio by Magic Sam. We're talking
through the issues of the day. We're highlighting some of
the great things that are going on in the next

(31:17):
couple of weeks in North Dakota. But I also want
to talk about the grand opening of the library and
museum is really important. I'm really looking forward to being
there for that. But this is something that I've already
talked to a couple of people about I want to
go back in like September. I want to go back

(31:38):
in November. I want to go back at other times
of the year when there are fewer than one hundred
thousand people there, because I want to take my time
to go through it. I think it's going to take
a couple of days to really experience it.

Speaker 4 (31:52):
Yeah, I think we should take a field trip and
go through it when we actually can soak it all in.

Speaker 2 (31:57):
Okay, I think it's a great idea. Let's do it.

Speaker 3 (32:00):
I also just learned.

Speaker 4 (32:01):
This might make me sound not that smart, but I
didn't realize.

Speaker 3 (32:07):
I mean, I knew it wasn't.

Speaker 4 (32:08):
A library that you could go, you know, check out
a little novel from, but I didn't actually realize what
presidential libraries were. And they're pretty It's just like an
entire museum of Teddy Roosevelt, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (32:20):
Yeah, Yeah, that's cool.

Speaker 4 (32:22):
I know.

Speaker 3 (32:22):
Till recently.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
It is the eighteenth presidential library. It's relative. Presidential libraries
are relatively modern things. The presidents used to give their
papers to universities who would hold them and have exhibits,
and there's you know, a bequests that we typically followed
that and some state funding money and that sort of thing.
But presidential libraries are a relatively new thing I have.

(32:47):
I had the great good fortune of going to let's
see Nixon, Reagan, George W. Bush and now Teddy Roosevelt.

Speaker 3 (32:56):
I'm a big George W. Fan.

Speaker 2 (32:58):
Yeah, he was. He's a good dude.

Speaker 3 (33:01):
He is not Wash.

Speaker 2 (33:03):
I had the opportunity to meet with him a number
of times. He didn't know my name or anything like that,
but he knew me as a baseball guy because he
and he always chose me, you know, whether it was
a small group of five or six people or or
more like fifty people at a fundraiser that sort of thing.
He'd always find me in the crowd and pick me
because he knew I was gonna ask a baseball question.
So you had people asking him about you know, qualifications

(33:26):
for medicare part duh. And he was and he was
able to talk about wide range of subjects right off
the top of his head, which was truly impressive. But
he always he always closed it out with me because
I'd ask him, you know, uh, as from as a
baseball guy, you know who's gonna win the American League
this year, who's your bet for the best the rotation
that's set up for the best for the postseason and

(33:48):
things like that. And he had so much fun with it.
So he knew me by he knew me by my face,
but he didn't know my name or anything like that.
But yeah, great guy. He also is the one that
somebody asked him a one point. It was a really
small group of folks, what he you know, if he
prayed for certain outcomes and things like that, and he

(34:08):
very directly said, I pray for two things every single morning,
courage and wisdom. Well, yeah, he sure got it. That formed, Yeah,
that formed, That formed so much of the early parts
of my direct relationship with the Lord that it was.
It was, it was an inspiration.

Speaker 3 (34:25):
That's very cool.

Speaker 4 (34:26):
He came to my I wasn't It was the year
before I moved there, but he went to my school
in Ghana and met oh is that everyone there? Yeah,
he went with Jordan Sparks, the winner of American Idol
that year apparently. But yeah, that was pretty cool. I
was kind of bummed that I missed that year.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
But yeah, just just a really really good honorable man.
I like him a lot. I also like the fact
that he is as competitive as they absolutely come. I
have met very few people in my life there as
competitive as President George W. Bush.

Speaker 3 (34:57):
Nice. He's also just hilarious.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
He is Oh yeah, yeah, he's a he's a guys guy, really,
and I like that about him is inappropriate sometime?

Speaker 3 (35:07):
Sure, yeah, why not? That's life. That's fun. Yeah, so
there's that.

Speaker 1 (35:13):
Okay, what else?

Speaker 3 (35:14):
What else?

Speaker 2 (35:14):
We got like a minute and a half here?

Speaker 4 (35:16):
Uh well, all I got is, you know, Teddy Roosevelt
is North Kota guy.

Speaker 3 (35:24):
Let's I don't think he's not actually from North Kota.

Speaker 2 (35:27):
He's from New York.

Speaker 4 (35:28):
Well, we're gonna pretend like he is, and then I'm
gonna pivot. In the last minute. We're going to talk
about the interesting famous people from here that I didn't
know about.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
Yeah, we got a minute.

Speaker 4 (35:38):
Yeah, we perfect one of the co founders of open
ai chat chpt. We have.

Speaker 3 (35:43):
That's it.

Speaker 4 (35:43):
He's from North Dakota, Thompson, North Dakota, very neat. What's
his name, Greg Brockman.

Speaker 2 (35:49):
Greg Brockman. We're the co founders of open ai chat
Chept from North Dakota graduates inspired by North Dakota.

Speaker 4 (35:57):
Yeah, graduated Red River High School and you indeed shout
out Andy.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
There you go.

Speaker 1 (36:01):
This is Dacota Mornings. I'm your host, Michael Bell.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
Keya play our five fifty AM, not a nine point
seven FM, and we are a rap four today