Minneapolis / St. Paul News Blog

Is your modest-size home currently dwarfed by your neighbor's ostentatious quasi-mansion? Do you endure pangs of inadequacy every time you drive by that smug bastard's oversize monolith of a house, what with its soaring overhangs and looming facades mocking your every sense of conventional modesty? Well fear not! That sumbitch's oneupmanship is henceforth outlawed! [shaking fist]

In a unanimous vote on June 29, the Minneapolis city council approved an ordinance that "address[es] resident concerns over the size and bulk of new homes" and "encourages traditional building features." After the ordinance takes effect (most likely next week after Mayor Rybak okays it), new homes will be forbidden from exceeding half the square footage of their lots and will be prohibited from surpassing 35 feet in height or two-and-a-half stories, whichever is less.

No good deed goes unpranked it seems. The South St. Paul Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission is inviting residents to submit a name for the Port Crosby Area to be officially named as a park. What was once a demolition landfill will soon be a public park, quite possibly the Chuck Norris Park if pranksters filling out the naming form on the South St. Paul city website have their way. Rumor has it the e-suggestion box has been getting stuffed with the name of the aging martial arts artist, with the "significance of name" field peppered with those beloved Chuck Norris facts, such as "There is no theory of evolution, just a list of creatures Chuck Norris allows to live." The inspiration for these monkeyshines comes from an online poll conducted last year by Hungarian officials to name a new bridge across the river Danube in Budapest. The Walker, Texas Ranger star held the lead in that poll over Hungary's first king and a beloved children's book character for much of the voting.

City Pages art director Nick Vlcek spotted a dozen people patiently waiting outside of the AT&T store near Ridgedale at 10:00 this morning. The trucks should be rolling in around 4:00 this afternoon, delivering the coveted iPhones that will go on sale at AT&T and Apple stores at 6:00 p.m., as well as at apple.com.

The Department of Natural Resources has a question: What do you think of Minnesota's population of cloven-hooved rats?

Ecologists have indicted the species—better known to the public as the white-tailed deer—for all manner of crimes against humanity and the natural world. (See "Bambi Must Die," 11/04/04.) The species' rap sheet includes: spreading bovine TB, plundering crops, consuming gardens, stripping new growth in forests, devouring ground-nesting birds, and spoiling the grills on 20,000 Minnesota vehicles each year.

In response, Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources has started to take the first toddling steps toward getting the state's deer population under firmer control. This has mostly involved expanding the hunt for antlerless deer—that is, reproducing does.

THESE DAYS

Preliminary studies by the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg suggest that daytime napping in young children may be linked to poorer sleep and mental functioning than in their peers who only sleep at night.

Indonesia's vice president believes marijuana should remain an illegal drug, but those who sprinkle it in traditional dishes shouldn't be punished.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Sascha is a cyclist from Minneapolis who blogs about the Nature Valley Grand Prix, packing a bike for air travel, and elevation profiles of her races at First and Last and Always.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Beef jerky underwear

Will Ferrell and little Pearl are back in Good Cop, Baby Cop

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Well, it's jail food. It's not supposed to be good."

— Paris Hilton, on Larry King Live, describing the cuisine in the slammer

It's not every day—or every decade—that a local TV station adds a public affairs program. And a public affairs program devoted to the multicultural experience in the Twin Cities? You might as well look through a telescope for a show like that to arrive on the Kuiper belt.

Granted, Channel 45 isn't far from the outer reaches of the television universe. KSTC is the kooky sister to KSTP-TV (Channel 5)—a place for monster movies and Matthew Lesko infomercials to run wild—and it's there that Hubbard Broadcasting has installed Crossroads. Since its kick-off a month ago, the program has examined mission work in Haiti, domestic violence, stand-out dads, and "Mocha Moms" (a support group for stay-at-home women of color).

Hosting the show each week is Sheletta Brundidge, who describes herself on her blog as a part-time assignment editor at KSTP news, a "full-time mom," a regular guest on KTCA's Almanac, a columnist for the Spokesman-Recorder (whew...take a deep breath; we're almost done), and a semifinalist in Nick at Night's Funniest Mom in America competition.

THESE DAYS

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported that they had successfully reversed mental retardation in mice.

British landlord Bob Beech is getting around a forthcoming cigarette ban by turning his bar in Southampton into an embassy for the uninhabited island of Redonda, which is 35 miles off Antigua.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Philip and Alvey conduct interviews and record podcasts about beer, with a local angle, at What Ale's Thee?

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Canadian family band The Bordens' 1980 cover of the Star Wars theme [via BoingBoing]

Some Novelty Items That Never Caught On [via McSweeney's]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle. He's bigger than that."

— Pres. George W. Bush, on British Prime Minister Tony Blair's leaving office, replaced by former Treasury chief Gordon Brown

In this week's cover story, Where the Ladies at?, writer Peter S. Scholtes profiles local female hip hop artists and the struggles they face in the broader community of MCs. An excerpt: "[Crazy] Amy doesn't remember the name of her attacker. 'I try to forget the bad things that I can't really do anything about,' she says. But the incident illustrates the hard edge of a broader stupidity: the producer who withholds services from a female rapper unless payment is made with sex, the male graffiti writer who spreads rumors about the girl who spent all night spray-painting with the boys, even a well-meaning parent who warns a daughter of the physical risks of breakdancing.'" Check out the cover story here and the gallery of B-Girl Be artists here, then come back to join the conversation.

Editor's note: Our cover story on B-Girl Be misattributed an off-color remark to choreographer Amy Sackett, a.k.a. Suga Mama of the Rhythm QueenZ. In fact, the banter came from another b-girl present at the same photo shoot. At no time did Sackett—a veteran dancer, teacher, and scene supporter—make any sexual joke or gesture. City Pages regrets the error. The online version reflects the corrected text.

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Check out Dessa, Protegee, Mad Fresh, Desdamona, and other participants in B-Girl Be in our gallery section.

Peter Schilling Jr. offers analysis on last night's Twins-Blue Jays duel at Balls.

We're adding new articles like DVD and game reviews every day. Use our Recent Article RSS feed to check for new content:

THESE DAYS

Despite receiving more than ten thousand comments from consumers and family farmers opposing various aspects of a late May 2007 proposal, the USDA has approved a rule that will allow 38 new non-organic ingredients to be allowed in products bearing the "USDA Organic" seal.

State Secretary William Galvin says the federal Justice Department is pressuring Boston election officials to translate political candidates' names into Chinese characters in precincts with prominent Chinese-speaking populations.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Find posts on cooking with soft drinks, becoming a Home Depot addict, and the joys of heating pads at the Prudent Hedonist.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Picasso car

A laser-etched Mr. Spock Matza [via BoingBoing]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"The combination of the triple stacker, the lack of good water, and the heat is a bad combination for them."

— Border Patrol agent Jesus Rodriguez, discussing the drugs and energy drinks some illegal immigrants are using to assist their trek across the U.S. border. A "triple stacker" is an ephedrine pill, an aspirin, and a can of Red Bull to wash it down.

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

It was a night of a thousand blunders as the Twins fell to the Blue Jays. Peter Schilling Jr. accompanies on movie house piano at Balls.

We remember the Swiss climber whose expedition team forged the path Sir Edmund Hillary used to reach the peak of Mt. Everest at Corpus Obscurum.

The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge. A new taster has been posted today.

THESE DAYS

Moritz Embroidery Works in Pennsylvania contracted with the U.S. military to make more than three million American flag patches, but federal prosecutors are claiming the patches were outsourced to a company in Thailand.

Canadian students could soon be graduating from "Taco Bell High" or "Wal-Mart Public School" if trustees go ahead with a plan to sell school naming rights to corporations to raise extra funds.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

The Armato Design & Press studio of Minneapolis blogs about print, industrial, and logo design and more at Green Zebra.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

A New Jersey Chinese Crested and Chihuahua mix named Elwood has been crowned the World's Ugliest Dog—a pale substitute for the original

A 1982 commercial starring General Hospital's Anthony Geary hawking Members Only jackets [via This Just In]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Do you know what you're planning on getting your beautiful wife? Whatever she wants, right?"

— Country singer Wynnona, asking President Bush if he had done his Christmas shopping yet, during a June 24 taping at Ford's Theatre of an ABC holiday special airing in December

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Check out dozens of photos from yesterday's Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade in our gallery section.

Steve Monaco has posted this week's Monday Movie Quiz at Couch Pundit.

Japanese punkers Melt Banana had the Entry quaking last night. Read Christopher Matthew Jensen's review and view Daniel Corrigan's photos in our gallery section.

Peter Schilling Jr. recaps the Twins' victory over the Marlins, including some heavy hitting by Johan Santana, at Balls.

We're adding new articles like DVD and game reviews every day. Use our Recent Article RSS feed to check for new content:

THESE DAYS

The sugar found in fruit such as apples and oranges can be converted into a new type of low-carbon fuel for cars, according to scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [via Undernews]

Four percent of U.S. adults have never had sex in their lives, and the figure climbs to 12 percent in the case of Mexican-Americans, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

An Alaska man has pleaded guilty to selling more than 100 fur seal penises to a local gift shop that intended to sell the items as an aphrodisiac.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Steve McPherson reviews concerts, discusses local music, and interviews musicians at Signal Eats Noise.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

2007 Key Art Awards for best movie poster artwork

The 25 Worst Movie Sequels of All Time

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It was Iwo Jima to us when we took it. We'll recognize whatever the Japanese want to call it but we'll stick to Iwo Jima."

— Retired Marine Maj. Gen. Fred Haynes, commenting on Japan's renaming the island of Iwo Jima to its pre-World War II name, Iwo To, at the urging of its original inhabitants

With summer in full swing, city officials are looking to cut down on curfew violations through the awkwardly titled "10 Home, Bed, Fed" awareness campaign. For instance, were you aware that it's illegal for a child under 12 to be out past 9 p.m. on a weekday? Or that anyone under 18 must be home before 11 p.m. by government decree?

"Our goal is to prevent curfew violations by partnering with parents to keep kids safe," Mayor Rybak said in a press release.

Good, we say. There are simply too many heinous things for 11-year-olds to do after 9 p.m. They might play hide-and-go-seek after dusk. Or run about catching fireflies at nightfall. Or embark on late-night exploratory bike rides.

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter Schilling Jr. gives his thoughts about whether Torii Hunter should be traded at Balls.

It's John Travolta vs. Tom Cruise in the Great Actor Smackdown at Couch Pundit.

Shuffle your iTunes and give us your Friday Random Ten at American Idle.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Cloud Cult, the Hopefuls, Digitata, M.anifest, Flock of Doug, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Sen. Minority Whip Trent Lott left reporters scratching their heads when he used the electrified fence surrounding the goats at his home in Mississippi as an analogy while discussing a fence on the United State-Mexico border.

Horror movie director Wes Craven is suing his neighbor, Bio-Dome star Pauly Shore, alleging that water from the comedian's home seeped down a slope and damaged his property.

There are close to two million U.S. military veterans without health insurance or adequate access to health care, according to recent analysis of 2005 U.S. Census Bureau data.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Becca blogs about throwing up moldy sandwiches, recently acquiring a therapist, her sad songs iTunes playlist, and raising an autistic son at The New Beccablog: Because I Said So.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

A U.S. map labelled with the names of countries with comparable GDPs [ya happy, Wege?]

Knit Crocheted TV dinner and moonshine [via Drawn!]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Corny is hardly the word. There's more corn here than in Kansas."

— an excerpt from the Daily Mail's review of the "Lord of the Rings" musical which premiered in London's West End Tuesday night

We're paraphrasing. But Torii Hunter, in New York this week for a series against the Mets, granted an interview to the Daily News. Here's what this season's best Twin, whose contract is up this season, had to say:

"I want to be with the Twins and that's been my main goal, but I'm human and the silence makes you wonder. I think I'm a decent player. I can't believe there hasn't even been a conversation about it. That's tough to swallow."

OK, fair enough. The man wants to get paid. But what about this?

"I love Yankee Stadium. The atmosphere and energy there is great. And the fans know the game. When they get on you it can be pretty personal, but it's always about your baseball game. When someone screams, 'You just can't hit that slider,' that's someone who knows what they're talking about. You don't hear that kind of informed (chatter) in Minnesota."

Ouch.

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Peter Schilling Jr. wonders which Twins team will show up in Florida after they beat the red-hot Mets again. Join the discussion at Balls.

Jessica Armbruster interviews Rev. Ted Haggard's masseur about his tell-all book at Culture To Go.

We're adding new articles like DVD and game reviews every day. Use our Recent Article RSS feed to check for new content:

THESE DAYS

The Homeland Security Department, the lead U.S. agency for fighting cyber threats, suffered more than 800 hacker break-ins, virus outbreaks and other computer security problems over two years, senior officials acknowledged to Congress.

A Swedish heavy metal fan has had his musical preferences officially classified as a disability. The results of a psychological analysis enable the metal lover to supplement his income with state benefits.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Local and world GLBT news, as well as info on upcoming Pride events at Queer Cities.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

Photographer Tom's photos of what may be an unfinished World War II munitions factory near Rosemount, Minnesota—can anyone out there confirm this?

The prairie dog drama king

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"They really stumble over our culture."

— Internet security company president Dan Clements, discussing an overseas Internet thief who recently attempted to sell the MasterCard number and other personal data of one Herman Munster of 1313 Mockingbird Lane in an underground chat room

In this week's cover story, The Outsiders, writer Paul Demko reports on the exodus of Hmong students from the troubled Minneapolis School District. An excerpt: "The Hmong refugees aren't the only ones fleeing the Minneapolis public schools. In just the last six years, the district's enrollment has fallen from 48,689 to 36,428—a drop of 25 percent. Enrollment in Choice Is Yours has ballooned from 472 students in its initial year, 2001, to 1,878 during the last school year. Charter schools have claimed still more students. Enrollment at North High School has plummeted from 1,274 to 950 over the last five years. The experience of the recent Hmong arrivals provides a telling snapshot of the difficulties and dysfunction that plague the Minneapolis system." Read the cover story here, then come back to join the discussion.

THESE DAYS

The U.S. circumcision rate peaked at nearly 90 percent in the early 1960s but began dropping in the '70s. By 2004, about 57 percent of all male newborns delivered in hospitals were circumcised.

A man widely believed to be the model for the smiling chef on Cream of Wheat boxes finally has a grave marker bearing his name.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Crystal and Ryan are an Apple Valley couple who enjoy cooking and sharing their recipes with the world at Café Cyan.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

A map of the Star Wars galaxy

13 Movie Plots Rendered Ridiculous by Their Stars' Behavior

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It's scary in this country, it's probably because of our bad educational system, but the percentage of people that believe in Creationalism is really scary for a country that's going to have to compete in the world where science and medicine require a better understanding."

— New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, during a recent speaking tour through California

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Andrea Myers checked out last night's sold-out Ryan Adams show at the Cedar. Read her review, and view Daniel Corrigan's photos, in our gallery section.

DVD reviews this week include the Die Hard Collection, Big Nothing, Pacino: An Actor's Vision, and more.

Peter Schilling Jr. discusses the Twins' loss last night to the Mets at Balls.

We remember the only Chinese nurse to care for the "Flying Tigers" during World War II at Corpus Obscurum.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Brother Ali, Tim Rally Gold, Little Man, Ben Weaver, the Plastic Constellations, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Excessive mating by wild hares at Milan's Linate airport has blocked takeoffs, landings, and radar systems.

The Kellogg Co. said that it would phase out advertising its products to children younger than 12 and stop using licensed characters unless the foods meet specific nutrition guidelines for calories, sugar, fat, and sodium.

A new Canadian survey, apparently the first of its kind in four decades, reports that 8 percent of dreams swirl around sexual situations.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Carol E. showcases a new photo every day honoring our capital city at St. Paul Daily Photo.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Worst Jobs in Science 2007

Nerd tattoos

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"This proves that the judges had sympathy for an old man who doesn't have a job."

— 83-year-old former Price is Right host Bob Barker, upon receiving his 19th Daytime Emmy Award

Nearly 100 pro-Constitution radicals were on hand at the Minneapolis Central Library on June 14 to witness a pair of Minneapolis attorneys spout their anti-torture propaganda. During the hour-long discussion "The Guantanamo Bay Challenge: Finding the Balance Between Our Nation's Security & Our Nation's Ideals," James Dorsey and Nicole Moen succeeded in undermining America's War on Terror by raising questions about Guantanamo interrogation tactics, thus emboldening the Enemy.

The duo—who practice at Fredrickson and Byron—described their on-going experiences representing Ahcene Zemiri, a 39-year-old Algerian man who has been detained in Guantanamo Bay since April 2002.

"Most [of the detainees] had been tortured or abused and were not well psychologically," said Moen, who acts as an Arabic translator in addition to her legal duties.

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Steve Monaco has the newest Monday Movie Quiz posted at Couch Pundit.

Jack Sparks has posted the first installment of the 2007 edition of the Top 100 Country Songs of All Time at the Other Side of Country.

Read Geoff Cannon's review and Daniel Corrigan's photos of the recent Nelly Furtado show in our gallery section.

Gary Hodges reviews a new version of Shadowrun, which Microsoft has reimagined as a first-person shooter, at citypages.com/gaming.

THESE DAYS

Japan will get its first nursing home for dogs with round-the-clock monitoring by doctors and a team of puppies to help aging pooches feel younger.

The populations of 20 common American birds—from the fence-sitting meadowlark to the whippoorwill with its haunting call—are half what they were 40 years ago.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Liv has decided to seek out the beauty found in life over 365 days. Find something beautiful every single day at One Year of Beauty.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Marie Antionette Action Figure, now with "Ejector Head"

Placemats made out of bacon

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"It's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work."

— Guidelines found on GlaxoSmithKline's website devoted to alli, the first FDA-sanctioned diet drug to be sold without a prescription. Possible side effects include loose stools and gas with an oily discharge. [via Norwegianity]

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

We're adding new articles like DVD and game reviews every day. Use our Recent Article RSS feed to check for new content:

THESE DAYS

A study in which teetotal Spanish nuns drank a regular half-liter of beer showed that beer may help reduce cholesterol levels.

The owners of a "condom bar" in India want to raise awareness about safe sex in a country where millions of people are HIV-positive but attitude towards sex is conservative.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

The LocalMN Blog is designed to show local businesses how they can use the internet to get customers through their door.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

True stories, told in one sentence

The Tattoo Back Generator

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

It's all I've ever done since I was a teenager. People thought I was a wonderful clown. I won awards. And now everybody's abandoned me."

— Suffolk, Virginia, resident Manuela Markham, aka Spunky the Clown, who was arrested May 6 and charged with attempting to smuggle marijuana to an inmate at the Greensville Correctional Center

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Download free MP3s from local artists such as FLock of Doug, Askeleton, Hockey Night, Brother Ali, Tim Rally Gold, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Church of England officials will send a letter to Sony demanding an apology over the use of Manchester Cathedral as a backdrop for a violent computer game.

Officials in Inner Mongolia say they have established a living barrier of trees, grass and shrubs wide enough to hold back the Gobi desert and to curb the sandstorms blowing over northeast Asia and hitting the United States.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Bandini blogs about winning the Iraq war with clowns, apartment fire poetry, and the wonder that is Angela Lansbury at Falling Chair.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Who's "My Generation" performed by senior citizens

An anti-smoking PSA starring R2-D2 and C-3PO

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"We are aware that the decision to place Google at the bottom of the ranking is likely to be controversial. But, throughout our research we have found numerous deficiencies and hostilities in Google's approach to privacy that go well beyond those of other organizations."

— Privacy International, a British human rights advocacy group, in a report citing Google as having the most abysmal privacy policies and leading a "race to the bottom" by the world's most renowned Internet firms

The sidewalk in front of Wafana's, a convenience store on Lyndale Avenue and North 24th Street, was for years known as a place to score all manner of illegal drugs. But last November, in a crackdown on troublemaking corner stores, the city finally forced Wafana's to close.

So far, eight stores have gotten the ax, reports Grant Wilson, business license manager for the city. "These are places people don't feel safe walking by," he says. The new get-tough policy, he asserts, has been "a great success. Some stores changed their behavior to cooperate with police. In other cases we had to revoke licenses."

In this week's cover story, The Art of Deception, G.R. Anderson Jr. profiles Twins pitcher Johan Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner bucking for a third. An excerpt: "Even Santana's rivals speak admiringly of his arm. C.C. Sabathia, the Cleveland Indians star pitcher—and one of Santana's competitors for the Cy Young award this year—isn't afraid to bow down. 'He's the top,' Sabathia says. Present company excluded? 'No, he's better,' Sabathia confesses, a rare moment of real humility from a professional athlete. That's heady praise for a player who five years ago was an unknown commodity. Raised in a remote town in the Andes Mountains, Santana was plucked from obscurity. But through what Twins general manager Terry Ryan calls 'coachability,' Santana transformed himself into one of baseball's best pitchers." Is he the best ever? Check out the story, then come back to join the conversation.

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Rob Nelson interviews horror scholar Adam Lowenstein about the broader themes in movies such as Hostel Part II at Culture To Go.

Peter Schilling Jr. commends Justin Verlander, who threw a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers last night. Get the low-down at Balls.

Download free MP3s from local artists such as Flock of Doug, Askeleton, Hockey Night, Brother Ali, Tim Rally Gold, and more at Music To Go.

THESE DAYS

Large doses of vitamin D may reduce the risk of cancer, according to a four-year study published on Friday involving nearly 1,200 women over the age of 55 in rural Nebraska.

Europe's seas are in serious decline from coastal development, overuse of fertilizers, chemical pollution and over-fishing, and over the next 20 to 30 years will deteriorate further unless action is taken.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

A group of Minnesotans studying energy policy blog about climate change, alternative sources of energy, and the environmental policies of big business at Energista.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The ugly mailbox blog

Ron Jeremy's filmography if he had played the banjo instead of having anal sex

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"My dog is racist. Not me."

— a Belgian businessman, rejecting a Nigerian job applicant arriving at the Belgian's business and confronted by a barking dog

The City of St. Paul is facing a projected $15.8 million budget shortfall for 2008. Solving the fiscal puzzle will not be easy. For instance it would require a 25 percent increase in property taxes to close the gap in the city's general fund. What's more roughly two thirds of that money is slated to pay for police and fire services--not an area that politicians are usually eager to cut.

City finance director Matt Smith lays out the grim news in a nifty new video (complete with really strained metaphor about a swimmer being attacked by LGA cuts!) posted on the city's web site.

Municipal finance geeks can also try their hand at solving the city's fiscal woes by utilizing the city's "Budget Cruncher." The gizmo is making an encore peformance after last year's budgetary difficulties. Personally I'm waiting for the Wii version.

Newspapers are dying. That's been the inevitable conclusion in recent years as papers across the country watch profits plummet and readership decline. The Star Tribune's announcement that it's shedding 50 jobs from its newsroom, including some of the newspaper's most high profile bylines, is only the most recent grim harbinger.

But Joel Kramer senses opportunity in the bloodletting. Kramer formerly worked as both editor and publisher of the Star Tribune. Since stepping down from the latter post in 1998, he's taught at the University of Minnesota, dabbled in politics, and founded a think tank called Growth & Justice. He's now contemplating the creation of a start-up newspaper—albeit one that would likely be restricted to the Internet.

"Watching the rapid deterioration of the business model of the major metro paper prompted me to think about it and also prompted lots of people to call me," Kramer says. "The need is there because the metro model is declining fast. The opportunity is there from the point of view of available people. That's all I can say for now."

CITY PAGES BLOGS AND NEWS

Steve Monaco gives up the lowdown on Cop Hater from 1958, starring Robert Loggia and Vincent Gardenia at Couch Pundit. The picture of a young Jerry Orbach is priceless.

The City Pages Media Taster lets you actually hear the great music you read about in City Pages—just launch, click, and listen. Simply download the Media Taster and you'll automatically receive a digital mixtape of music on a semi-regular basis (including free MP3s), legal and free of charge. A new taster has been posted today!

THESE DAYS

A Dutch smoking ban will come into force in July next year for all restaurants and cafes—including coffee shops where cannabis is the top attraction, the government decided on Friday.

Authorities in India are to investigate claims by terrified villagers that "bigfoot"-type hairy giants are roaming the jungles of the remote northeast, a local official said.

MINNESOTA BLOG OF THE DAY

Max Sparber, Steve McPherson, Courtney Mault, Nancy Sartor, and Sailor Martin review liquor, offer drink recipes, and recall favorite drinking games at the Bottle Gang: The Twin Cities' Guide to Sophisticated Drinking.

[Minnesota-based blog directory]

TIME WASTERS

The Hot Chicks with Douchebags blog

Will Smith plays a scientist who's the last human survivor in New York City after a viral epidemic in I Am Legend.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"You're Van Gogh. You're Modigliani. That's who you are."

— Andy Garcia, honoring his Godfather: Part III and Ocean's Thirteen co-star Al Pacino, who recently received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award

When he was a Minneapolis City Council member, Steve Minn was never afraid to take on the bureaucracy of the city or the perceived hypocrisy of his own colleagues. In the years since, as Minn has become a prominent developer around town, he's still fighting City Hall.

For more than six months, Minn's latest battle has been over a project called Pacific Flats, which at various times has called for condos, a hotel, or retail as high as 28 stories on what's referred to as the "Monte Carlo block"—after the downtown restaurant on Washington Avenue North. In December, the city's Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) raised several questions about the project's design and scope within the historic Warehouse District. Since then, Minn's been quietly fuming.

Or perhaps not so quietly. "After getting my chain yanked by the HPC yet again, I blew up and threw a fit," Minn says in an e-mail to Blotter, forwarding correspondence between him and Lee Sheehy, the city's director of Community Planning and Economic development. "Well, read it and laugh."

Vita.mn, like most faux-alternative weeklies produced by dailies, tries desperately to be hip. But creativity is not its strong suit: most issues feature re-packaged content from the Strib's Source section, seasoned with a few cringe-worthy stabs at edginess.

This week's edition is no exception. Look no further than the cover story: "Sex al fresco," a paean to making whoopee in the great outdoors. After reminding us that Minnesota is cold in the winter time, author Alexis McKinnis finally gets to the point: "So is it any surprise than an unscientific poll of Vita.mn readers revealed that we also like to have sex outside? Of course not."

While the prose feels about as creative as the missionary position, the cover is an even worse example of phoning it in. Although the painting of ladybugs humping at first seems clever, if you plug the headline—"Summer Love"—into Google, you'll find the artist's obvious inspiration: a photograph of ladybugs humping posted on flickr.com, under the name—wait for it—"Summer love!"