December 2007

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Breakfast of Champions: 12/31

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Huge weekend in music, with the debut of Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes' new project at the 400 Bar, the return of DJ ESP (Woody McBride) at the Foundation Nightclub, and more. Peep the reviews and photos in Over the Weekend.

My Top 10 albums of the year are listed here, and this BoC post links to other local lists.

Frightened by Rhena Tantisunthorn's TB story from this week's issue? You'll want to read Kevin Hoffman's new post.

The Vikings are dead. Long live the Vikings. Eric Refsland caps off the season by blogging the final, playoff-eliminating defeat of the year.

BRAIN CANDY

This secret attack ad prepared by the John McCain campaign for potential use against Mitt Romney is interesting -- even more so when you discover that the people who produced the ad left McCain to go work for Romney. Those Iowa caucuses are just around the corner, folks.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 31, 2007 7:12 AM | Comments (0)

 

Foreshadowing TB

A woman with drug-resistant TB flew into Chicago and put fellow passengers at risk.

City Pages recently ran an article about Minnesota suffering an increase in TB cases at a time when the disease is on the decline nationally. Now comes word that a 30-year-old Sunnyvale, California, woman put 44 passengers from 17 states at risk by flying knowing she had drug-resistant TB (shades of Andrew Speaker). Money quote:

"She certainly knew she had TB," said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the public health officer for Santa Clara County, Calif. "She had symptoms [coughing and fever] when she was on the plane. Was she advised not to travel? I don't know."

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at December 30, 2007 5:46 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/28

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

We take you into the long weekend with a sprinkling of news, a dash of sports, and a metric ton of music.

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

The action starts at Culture to Go, where we have matters musical to discuss. In celebration of Auld Lang Syne, I invite you to check out Five Songs About The New Year, an eclectic mix organized around a unified theme. All the songs are fun, and some you might not expect.

Additionally, my top 10 albums of the year post is done, and is scheduled to go up at noon.

On the Blotter, Jonathan Kaminsky's latest offers an amusing "dumbest criminals" type story, and finishes with what many would consider to be words to live by.

I have a bit more uplifting news post, about Minneapolis reclaiming the top ranking among literate cities, with St. Paul making great strides to take over third.

Briefly, on the sports blog, I offer a post detailing Jeff Pearlman's repudiation of "real man" rhetoric. Every time I look at the title of the post (and consider its relation to Peter Warrick), the song "Word Association" by 7L + Esoteric runs through my head. It has a line about Applebee's, you see.

Oh, and word on the street is to expect a Top 10 Moments posts on the sports blog soon, too.

BRAIN CANDY

Previously, I mentioned that my favorite discs of 2007 would be going up later today. Until then, check out a few other lists ...

I really like this list by local poet and rapper El Guante, a guy who shares my antipathy for the notion that any list can really constitute The Best Of All Music Produced This Year. But it's still a fun read, and has some stuff I agree with along with some perspectives I don't share, which is the best type to read.

Having expressed my antipathy for the totalizing list, they sure are fun, aren't they? Here's The Current's lists, and Steve Seel's list made me sit back and say "hmm, you know, I really did like St. Vincent and John Vanderslice this year ..." No, they didn't make my final cut, but quality stuff nonetheless.

The Strib has a Top 21 local albums list, too.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 28, 2007 5:19 AM | Comments (0)

 

Twin Cities Can Read Good

Filed under: Education

Minneapolis has reclaimed its ranking as "America's Most Literate City" -- and St. Paul has jumped from 11th to 3rd.

Residents of St. Paul "show evidence of stable or increased literate behaviors, be it reading newspapers or magazines, going online, library use, or buying books from a local bookstore," according to researcher Jack Miller. In this, St. Paul bucks a disturbing nationwide trend -- it's the only city nationwide where Sunday newspaper circulation has increased per capita.

The rankings are based on several metrics within six categories, including "newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment and Internet resources." Last year's literacy champion, Seattle, slipped to second.

Verily, I think I speak for all us learned and sagacious denizens of these dual metropolises when I say: Suck it, Seattle. I hereby challenge Seattle Weekly's talented and debonair web editor, Chris Kornelis, to a read-off. Alternative weeklies at 10 paces.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 27, 2007 3:10 PM | Comments (3)

 

Daddy Dumbest

Filed under: Crime

On a recent Friday night, Andrew St. Michel was speeding through Brooklyn Center on I-94 when Sgt. Dan Beasley, a state trooper, pulled him over. According to a criminal complaint, when Beasley approached St. Michel's window, the 23-year-old driver explained that he was in a hurry to pick up his young son. After noticing St. Michel's telltale bloodshot and watery eyes, Beasley opened St. Michel's door and told him to get out the car.

OK, St. Michel said, but could he first make a quick phone call?

Sure, Beasley said, go ahead.

But St. Michel had other plans. Instead of pulling out his cell phone, he sped off, proceeding to lead Beasley and several Brooklyn Park cops on a chase down Brooklyn Boulevard—through red lights and at speeds exceeding 100 mph, according to the complaint.

Finally, after officers managed to deflate St. Michel's tires with Stop Sticks, he surrendered at gunpoint. According to the complaint, after St. Michel blew a .12 and admitted to drinking six shots of Bacardi, he was asked if he wanted to consult a lawyer. But St. Michel, already driving on a suspended license after a DWI conviction in November, didn't have any pretending left to do. "Fuck an attorney," he said.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at December 27, 2007 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/27

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

A short post today as we transition from putting out the paper to preparing our New Year's coverage.

Ben Palosaari has an interview on Culture to Go with Cecilie Surasky, director of Jewish Voice for Peace, that covers the Desmond Tutu controversy along with broader issues in the Middle East. I'm sure we can all discuss this like rational adults who have actually read the interview.

Since it's Thursday, that means I'm going to be on the radio with Stephanie and Meredith at 107.1 FM. I'll be on in the 2 o'clock hour, talking about the weekend's events -- which today we're expanding to local New Year's Eve parties. I have my own ideas, but if you have a suggestion, ship it here.

On that topic of Auld Lang Syne, the Foundation Nightclub's New Year's event be will be the club's last for several months, as it closes for "reinvention and redesign."

BRAIN CANDY

This is how we ought to do things in journalism. We offer readers clues to help solve mysteries.

Can you solve the mystery implicit in this front page (PDF link)? Hint: look at the picture in "sign of the times" and then the picture immediately below it.

Yes, it is what you think, and yes, the police got involved.

Children of the 1980s rejoice: you can buy the original Knight Rider car! Notice I didn't say "KITT." After reading the grisly fate associated with its owner, I think fans of the series will agree with me that this has to be KARR in disguise.

Whale shark populations are growing in Australia! This is terrific news, and apparently a sign that ecotourism is working. I'm excited by this not only for environmental reasons, but because I've been diving a few times with these gentle giants, and it's not an experience I'm ever going to forget.

This paragraph sparked a memory:

"Although the sharks are enormous creatures with 6,000 teeth, they're relatively peaceful fish that feed by simply opening their mouths. Finely meshed gill-rakers keep prey in while filtering water out. The only real danger to humans is an accidental slap from the shark's gigantic tail. Such a hit could probably knock a diver out cold."

This reminded of the time in Okinawa when, distracted by the process of taking underwater video, I did get whacked by a whale shark's tail. If you're curious, the whole story (with photos and video) is on my old blog.

And don't worry, it was just a gentle bump. Obviously, I'm still here. But you can actually see the impact of the bump as it happens toward the end of this video.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 26, 2007 1:04 PM | Comments (0)

 

Diablo Cody: Expanded Web Content

Filed under: City Pages

Craving more after you read our feature about Diablo Cody? We have a couple of online-only bits about Hollywood's hottest screenwriter available now.

First, peruse a slideshow gallery with a bunch of terrific photos (and notes from the shoot!) by Nick Vlcek. Hear an excerpt from Matthew Smith's interview with Diablo, as she reflects on her time at City Pages, here (MP3).

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 26, 2007 8:32 AM | Comments (2)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/26

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

If you're just trudging back into work after the holiday -- I'm truly sorry. Would that you were reading us from home, in your footy pajamas. Whether you're comfortably starting the day in your breakfast nook or grumbling as you plop down into your chair at the historic Designers Guild Building wherever it is you happen to work, here's a summary of what you've missed.

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

From the issue itself, there's a new in-depth interview with Diablo Cody by Matthew Smith, along with some enhanced web content I'll post about in a second.

Rhena Tantisunthorn details the frightening rise in tuberculosis here in Minnesota. But don't worry, apparently kissing isn't as germtastic as we thought. As if you needed another reason to hook up this holiday season.

More disconcerting law enforcement news, as Jeff Severns Guntzel tells the story of a crime that left cops without the resources to pursue it vigorously.

Our Year in Review series continues with the Top Movies of 2K7, as selected by our esteemed critics.

The blogs were lively over the holiday. The Christmas Eve BoC included my gift wish list for City Pages editorial staff. Some of these have come to pass. Others, like the Ghost of Christmas Future, are yet to come. Also on the Blotter, Pawlenty's warm and fuzzy P.R. hit from the Strib.

The latest from Culture To Go: I identify 10 Songs About Christmas that you should hear if you haven't, and should hear again if you have. The most recent Over the Weekend highlights the Soul Asylum show and some wintry good times around town(s).

On Balls!: The Timberwolves won in stirring fashion and the Vikings ... lost? Isn't that a bit of role reversal? In other news, Sebastian Telfair's new low-bagging look catches some surprise rave reviews in the comments.

New slideshows: some shots from the Christmas Eve snows and more from the Soul Asylum concert at First Avenue.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 26, 2007 8:13 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/25 <--- It's Christmas!

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

... because today is Christmas, the online version of the paper will be going up tomorrow morning instead of this evening. I promise, as Janet Jackson once sang-whispered, it'll be worth the wait.

The feature is excellent -- as a hint, it covers someone whose name is a synonym for "devil" -- and includes a few web-only features, including pictures you can't find anywhere else. So there's that.

In other news, apparently those mythical individuals fighting the War on Christmas have failed once again, as the day is here. Enjoy presents, feasting and togetherness, and tomorrow you can all huddle around the warm glow of the monitor and read the issue together. As a family.

If you insist on hitting F5 incessantly to check the latest blog updates, well, I won't stop you, and in fact may want to have your babies all the more. As I hope you've come to expect, we've got fresh stuff today, with more coming in the afternoon.

The "Five Songs About ..." series on Culture to Go doubled in size for Christmas. You get 10, 10, 10 Christmas songs (and videos, where possible) for your holiday perusal. It went live at 12:01 this morning, coming down the series of tubes as if it were a chimney, and the post a present.

There's also a new Blotter post about the Strib giving Tim Pawlenty unfounded P.R. honey for the tame bear story. But if you want some Xmas links you aren't expecting, you'll check out what's after the jump.

BRAIN CANDY

From the days of my youth, here's one of my least fond memories. Growing up a big wrestling fan, I always preferred the more traditional mat-based shows (like Verne Gagne's AWA) to the "sportz entertainment" virus of Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Nevertheless, McMahon employed some excellent performers, such as Ted DiBiase and his "Million Dollar Man" gimmick (which devolved after Ted quit wrestling, but that's beside the point).

You had to figure that any storyline involving DiBiase was at least worth checking out, despite the penchant of the then-WWF for cartoonizing everything. You would be wrong. I give you: Xanta Claws, the Evil Wrestling Santa Claus.

Other hysterical wrestling-related Christmas debacles are available at Wrestlecrap, home of the Worst in Wrestling. Also, in case you didn't know this: the Ultimate Warrior is a deranged lunatic. Yes, even by minimal standards. He also fancies himself a philosopher, which may be a topic here in BoC soon.

In the biz, we call that "foreshadowing." Enjoy your Christmas, everybody.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 25, 2007 6:01 AM | Comments (0)

 

Bear Life laid bare: the Strib's fake paean to Pawlenty

Filed under: Media

I loves me a cuddly bear. If it's a choice between backing a bear or backing Tim Pawlenty, well, good luck to you, Governor sir, and I hope those raw meat boxer shorts fit. I'll make popcorn.

Hence it was with delight that I read that Solo-the-sorta-tame-black-bear would be spared, and surprised to learn that it was ol' Gov. Pawlenty that was responsible. Unless the wildlife in question is a turkey around Thanksgiving, I reasoned such a pardon would be more an agency matter. But if the Strib says it's the Guv's call in the opening paragraph, then surely it's true. Right?

Quoth the lede (this is how we fancy-ass journalists spell "lead"):

"Solo, the seemingly tame black bear that is hibernating with her two cubs under a northern Minnesota lake cabin, won the support Friday of Gov. Tim Pawlenty and soon will avoid being destroyed and instead travel with her little ones to a wildlife sanctuary in South Dakota or elsewhere, state officials said."

But you read on, and you find that the state's Department of Natural Resources was already planning to send Solo and her two cubs to a wildlife sanctuary, either in the Black Hills or another site. Meaning Pawlenty's homilies to ursine clemency had exactly two things to do with this: jack and taco, and I just ate the taco.

And it was delicious. But I digress.

Take another look at that lede and see the clever wording: "Solo, the seemingly tame black bear that is hibernating with her two cubs under a northern Minnesota lake cabin, won the support Friday of Gov. Tim Pawlenty and soon will avoid being destroyed ... "

The sentence is worded to equate correlation with causation. Solo got Pawlenty's support and will avoid being destroyed. I got a job at City Pages and the Minnesota economy looks like it will avoid recession. Note the absence of "and so" or "and because of this."

The juxtaposition in the most-read part of the story misleads; Pawlenty doesn't have to do anything, and gets a free P.R. hug in print. Sadly, expect to see a lot more of this as our (unofficial) VP candidate hosts the GOP bash. Prepare your between-the-lines glasses.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 24, 2007 7:59 PM | Comments (1)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/24

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

Dear Santa,

It's been a memorable year here at the Pages even though my year only had two months in it. Besides wrapping up the new content on the site (since I know you're going to hit us up during your trek via sled-based WiFi), I thought I would use this post to complete my list of gift requests for City Pages staff.

Some of these you have, in your wisdom, delivered already. Others I'm certain are coming. The rest -- well, ganbatte, as we say at home in Okinawa.

Just last week, I asked for your friend and mine Jeff Severns Guntzel to receive an official new name for the band he plays in. Rumors held that -- I am not making this up -- the group had narrowed possible choices down to 200 names. Yes, two of the things called hundreds. But I asked for your providence, and Santa, did you deliver. I thank you, and The Dynamiters thank you.

For Paul Demko: this. I would also like him to play at least one game next year where the crowd is chanting, "There's only one Paul Demko." If liquor has to be involved, so be it.

Jonathan Kaminsky is a good guy. He gave me these weird fish things that swell up when you put them in water. For him, I would like a few more Timberwolves wins like this one, so that he and Benjamin Polk can experience the thrill of victory in addition to the soul-crushing shwack of defeat. For Vikings blogger Eric Refsland, I want more of the second halftime picture, and less of the first.

For A-list editor Jessica Armbruster and assistant Ben Palosaari, whose efforts power our things-to-do arm, I would like more time to enjoy the fruits of their labor, to get out and enjoy the events they write about. No, this does not mean I will let them exploit my soon-to-be-hired Super Web Intern for data entry purposes. Okay, it probably does. You know I'm a softie, Santa.

For Kevin Hoffman, I would like some more haters.

For music editor Sarah Askari, I would like a new appreciation for the podcast, and how Internet technology can advance the cause of local music. For Nate Patrin, I'd love it if you could help him find a buyer for his Japanese PlayStation 3 -- or maybe you could just deliver the thing to some underprivileged Ainu kid on Hokkaido. For copy chief Bridgette Reinsmoen; how bout if her "Web" editor's would no how, to use the english language good.

For Quinton Skinner, more shows like "The Deception," fewer shows like the Ordway's "Sound of Music." For our crack art staff, Nick Vlcek and Mike Kooiman, more models willing to dress up in devil costumes or police uniforms. For Matt Snyders, I would only request that his next week-long feature research project take place outside. Someplace with natural light, where the most nutritious sustenance was not an Orange Julius.

For Matt Smith, I would like more interview opportunities like the one he just concluded with Diablo Cody. It's coming out in the next issue, and Santa, you have got to read this. Honest. You know I wouldn't lie and risk the "naughty" list. As for Ward Rubrecht, I would like you to deliver unto him a feature story that will grant him national recognition. Within the next few weeks, if you could. And I have a good feeling that you can.

Don't I want anything for myself? Sure. I want peace on Earth, and goodwill toward men. Also, a new starter for my car. But if you can only do one of those, definitely peace on earth.

Your pal,

Jeff

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Over the Weekend details the Soul Asylum show, a few Minnesota Wild games and outdoor recreation during a snow emergency. If you want some more snow emergency photos, I took a few in the Kingfield neighborhood while the white stuff was falling Sunday evening. If you want more Soul Asylum photos, you know Daniel Corrigan has you covered.

Eric Refsland's from-a-sports-bar report on the Vikings game yesterday is so awesome, it almost makes the loss worthwhile. Almost. Benjamin Polk was more fortunate in his choice of sporting pursuits, as the Telfair-led T-wolves pulled off an improbable comeback reminiscent of NBA Live.

Van Morrison fans: if you missed our post with rare MP3s and Emily Utne's photos from the show, fret not: they're still here. On a more local note, I interviewed Eyedea. I thought about writing that "Eye interviewed Eyedea," but I respect you too much for that.

Ben Palosaari interviews a dude who likes to dance with fire. I root for said dude to somehow catch Ben on fire, in the least painful and most entertaining way possible. I enjoy the interview, but am sorely disappointed in Palosaari's inflammability. Nothing personal, Ben.

Also, I am starting a band called "Palosaari's Inflammability." It's almost as good a name as The Dynamiters, and uses more marquee letters.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 24, 2007 6:42 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/21

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

After today nestles gently into tonight, the days start getting longer again. And I for one cannot wait. Each extra minute is another breath of life, another extension of possibility. In honor of this, and because I am lazy, a few brief summations of the new content.

A new slideshow affords a look at 15 of 2007's top concerts.

Play with fire, get burned -- or get profiled by Ben Palosaari on Culture To Go.

Eyedea & Abilities played last night at the Triple Rock. Eyedea plays with Face Candy Saturday at Whiskey Junction. In the interim, we've got this interview.

Some call Jonathan Kaminsky the future of sportswriting. "Some" is my middle name. His latest Timberwolves blog is here.

Paul Demko plays Omaha 8 or Better. Paul Demko therefore knows math. The Shooter does not, as Demko points out. Demko also has the latest on the Ramstad retiremaybe. Turns out at least one DFLer is running no matter what.

I went on the radio. It was so much fun, it should be illegal. Fortunately, it's not, so I'm going again every Thursday.

We posted the Rock Atlas of the Twin Cities. The art is awesome. Some people told us we should have added the Fine Line , so we did.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 21, 2007 7:43 AM | Comments (0)

 

Will Ramstad Retire? Bonoff doesn't care

Filed under: Politics

Whether Rep. Jim Ramstad ultimately opts to retire or not, at least one of his DFL challengers intends to stay in the race. State Sen. Terri Bonoff's campaign just released this statement.

"Regardless of what Jim Ramstad decides about his political future, I remain certain about mine: my campaign to bring a new voice to the Congress for Minnesota's families will continue. I look forward to a vigorous campaign to determine who will best represent Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District without regard to whom my opponent is."

Posted by Paul Demko at December 20, 2007 3:34 PM | Comments (0)

 

This Atlas Rocks

Filed under: City Pages

The two-page Rock Atlas spread from our print issue is now available on-line. Click the image below to see the full version, which highlights hot spots from local scene's past, present and future.

The same places are entered into our interactive map as well, so you can save it to your Google Maps if you use that feature.

Also, artist Kevin Cannon has a detailed post explaining his thought and creative processes, taking you through the production of the Rock Atlas.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 20, 2007 11:25 AM | Comments (8)

 

Radio killed the Internet star

Filed under: City Pages

I'm going to be on the radio this afternoon with Stephanie Hansen from 107.1, talking about what there is to do this weekend. If you've always wanted to hear what my voice sounds like and can't be bothered to download my one triumphant appearance on cPod, then you'll get your chance in the 2 p.m. hour. "Listen live" link is on the right side of their main page.

[/shameless Jeff-promotion]

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 20, 2007 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/20

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Deuce-double-aught-seven has raced by like a greyhound on Adderall, and we find ourselves in a time of reflection. The first of our year-ending pieces are up (and more are on the way). We forge forward by looking backward: the new Year in Photos slideshow recalls some of the year's top stories and the images attached to them. It's a fun trip down Amnesia Avenue as we look back on the year that was.

Will he? Won't he? No, we're not talking about R. Kelly's waffling on whether to come to our fair dual metropolis, we're talking about Jim Ramstad's maybe decision to maybe retire or maybe unretire. Matt Snyders blogs it.

Speaking of R. Kelly, has anyone made the following joke: "He said the show was canceled due to inclement weather, but we all know it was because he found out the real age of consent here."? If not, consider it made. Yeah, I gotta go for the low-hanging fruit.

BRAIN CANDY

If you saw our winter bike commuters slideshow, you know some of the conditions faced while in two-wheeled non-motorized transport. Metroblogging Twin Cities offers some bike safety tips.

From Okinawa comes news of a fresh way to make muscles for robots. Paging Will Smith and, for that matter, Twiki and Bender.

Whales, as it turns out, may have descended from a deer-like animal the size of a raccoon. For the science-inclined, you can check out the speculative family tree here. For the non-science inclined, you can always ask Kirk Cameron.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 20, 2007 6:52 AM | Comments (0)

 

Rumors/rumblings regarding Ramstad's retirement

The blogosphere is swirling with rumors that 3rd District Rep. Jim Ramstad is seriously reconsidering his decision to retire. On Friday Eric Black and Joe Bodell reported that the 17-year Republican representative of the Twin Cities' west suburbs is contemplating unretiring. Today, Capitol Hill-based newspaper Roll Call issues a similar report .

Ramstad's alleged second thoughts come on the heels of Louisiana Rep. Jim McCrery's decision earlier this month to call it quits. McCrery serves as the ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the theory goes that GOP leadership might offer Ramstad McCrery's soon-to-be former position to entice Ramstad to stay.

Posted by Matt Snyders at December 19, 2007 2:02 PM | Comments (1)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/19

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Sarah Askari's year in music feature is the axis upon which this week's content spins.

The two-page Rock Atlas spread from our print issue is a keeper, with great art, interesting design and a bevy of local music must-sees. For the web, we also have an interactive map you can check out.

The best thing about end-of-year lists is the debate they engender. To begin, City Pages' collective local albums of the year list is out now. Far be it from me to cast slings and arrows, but Cloud Cult's The Meaning of 8 only merits an honorable mention? That is, as Phil Hellmuth would say, a jopke.

Nate Patrin has a Top 10 rap albums list, and it's fine reading. Nate, you know I love you, but if you really think that El-P record is better than the Aesop Rock release this year, you probably wrote the list after one of Lil Wayne's cocktail parties. Also, no love for Busdriver's Roadkill Overcoat? It's the most innovative hip-hop record of the year.

Make your own lists, you say? Maybe I will. Maybe I will.

Also in the issue, Paul Demko has the story of Le Cirque Rouge's benefit show controversy, and it goes along with our burlesque slideshow from earlier in the week. Jonathan Kaminsky tackles a youth hockey brouhaha pitting public against private.

Exclusively on the web, we have another photo gallery, this time from an art exhibition designed to raise awareness about local homelessness.

But the big news of the week is that Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl is leaving, and I am sad. When I took this job -- this is no exaggeration -- roughly 65 percent of the people I told about the new gig said, with great excitement, words to the effect of "you get to work with Dara" or "you have to introduce me to Dara." With good reason: she is one of the very best in the country at what she does. (People used to react with excitement when they got to work with me, too, but usually because I owed them money.)

Dara has done great work for us, and will go on to do other great work in the future. We will miss her.

BRAIN CANDY

To draw attention to his pro-chastity cause, a Princeton student faked death threats, beat himself with a bottle and scraped his face with bricks. Because it's so believable that sex-positive people would take the time to beat up one of these abstinence-only types.

This clip reflects many of the qualities I so treasure about the Internet: nostalgia, found-object art, and simple editing techniques used to get a deserved laugh. You've all seen this video as a young person, I'm certain: now see it in a new way.

One could posit that the word you hear in your mind's ear tells you a lot about the state of your subconscious. Or one could tell oneself to shut up, and just laugh at moment 1:25 or so.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 19, 2007 7:11 AM | Comments (3)

 

Dara Departing City Pages

Filed under: City Pages

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, the longtime restaurant critic of City Pages, will be leaving the paper in January to pursue other interests.

Grumdahl, who has won numerous awards for her food criticism, wants to write books and boost her national profile, which won’t afford the time to keep up her weekly column in City Pages.

“I’ve always loved CP, it was basically my first job out of college,” Grumdahl said. “I’ve been so happy there over the years.”

We thank Dara for the many wonderful columns she's graced us with and wish her well.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at December 18, 2007 5:05 PM

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/18

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Wrapping up the aftermath of a big show-going weekend, we have a new photo slideshow from Wu-Tang Clan and review of Andrew Bird at the Cedar. But since those go along with material posted late Sunday night, let's try this once more, with feeling. Here's a one-stop guide for all the recent music posts:

Reviews: Andrew Bird, by Desiree Weber
Wu-Tang Clan, by Nate Patrin (scroll down)

Slideshows: Andrew Bird, with photos by James Tran
Wu-Tang Clan, with photos by Daniel Corrigan
The Doomtree Blowout, with photos by Daniel Corrigan

They kept it interesting, but the Vikings won on Monday Night Football and Eric Refsland has a video-packed post following the contest.

Finally, I hear this comedian is running for Senate. And yet he is serious. Someone -- preferably someone from the Washington Post or Paul Demko -- explain it to me.

BRAIN CANDY

You know Snopes.com as the dominant debunking site on the Internet, assessing the truth value of urban legends. But consider its parallel value as a photo site.

When I say "value," I'm speaking in two respects. There's the obvious benefit of a one-stop aggregator for goofy and aberrant photographs circling around the Internet -- with the added bonus of finding out if they're real or not). In the animals section alone, you can find some of these gems:

It's tough to say which of the photos in the page about Hercules, the world's largest dog is my favorite, but I'm leaning toward the one with Authentic Hercules.

The puppy with a heart-pattern in its coat: amazingly, real. Not so amazingly, born in Japan. Kawaii! The photos of those cats shaven to resemble poodle-lions? Horrifyingly, real.

A subtler fascination for me, though, are the photos listed as having "multiple truth values." Mostly, these are real photos that are forwarded around the Web with made-up stories or false details attached. What inspires people to make up a story about an authentic photo, passing it off as truth?

Other notes: ligers are real. Tigons, too. Oh, and this is the scariest-looking dolphin I've ever seen.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 18, 2007 7:55 AM | Comments (1)

 

Al Franken is running for senate!

Filed under: Politics

And it's no joke! He wants to be taken seriously folks! The Washington Post weighs in today with the same tired angle that the New York Times trotted out earlier this month.

Posted by Paul Demko at December 17, 2007 10:51 AM | Comments (4)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/17

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

A huge music weekend, with indie darling Andrew Bird rolling in for three, count 'em, three shows, local hip-hop at the Doomtree Blowout, and the one and only Wu-Tang Clan (minus a few) kicking it at First Avenue. We have photo slideshows from each of these (here are links to Doomtree and Bird, with the Wu coming later) featuring shots by Daniel Corrigan and James Tran respectively. Nate Patrin offers a full review of the Wu-Tang show as well.

All of this is detailed in Over the Weekend, the second in an ongoing series of posts detailing what happened in art, culture and random events from Friday evening on.

Wondered about marijuana in Hennepin County? Who hasn't? Well, Matt Snyders has some answers for you in a long post about drug enforcement around the area.

Elsewhere, on Balls!, Kevin Hoffman wonders why the TV and radio feeds for the Vikings games come in a few seconds different. I wonder what caused Kevin to watch TV and listen to the radio at the same time.

Coming: a slideshow and review of the Wu-Tang Clan show at First Avenue last night.

BRAIN CANDY

Missing a foot? Maybe you left it in New Zealand. Go check, we'll wait.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 17, 2007 8:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

Herbal Calamity

Filed under: Drugs

Earlier this week, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department vowed to continue their valiant struggle to rid the west metro area of an organic herb and called for citizens to help in the effort.

"Law enforcement relies on the involvement of all sectors of society to fight crime and enhance safety,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek in a Tuesday press release. “We need your help to stop these grows from multiplying.”

Cannabis sativa—or, as the kids call it, “marijuana”—is indigenous to central Asia and has been used by humans for centuries, often during religious ceremonies. When smoked, the plant is known to elicit feelings of euphoria and heighten senses of taste, sound, and color.

In modern times, however, the herb is better known for its tendency to attack unsuspecting victims unprovoked. Even worse, say officials, the insentient plant matter often targets families, leaving authorities no choice but to call for stepped-up warfare against the weed’s malevolent photosynthesis.

"We have to increase the war on these local marijuana grows to keep families safe,” said Stanek. “We are seeing large increases in the number of local marijuana grow operations and the violent crime that comes along with these drug crimes.”

Stanek neglected to specify whether the violence is attributable to the plant itself or to the underground nature of the illegal, unregulated drug trade. Whatever the case, cannabis plants recently seized by county officials are up to three times more potent than pot of yore. Highly sophisticated grow houses in affluent suburbs have allegedly been cultivating crazy-dank bud, some harvests containing THC levels of 18 percent.

To be fair, numerous studies over the years have concluded that the maligned foliage is neither physically addictive nor harmful when used in moderation. (Though experts say side effects may include temporary paranoia, lethargy, inexplicable cravings for peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches, and clumsy attempts at social satire.)

As a result, some states have passed legislation allowing the curative herb to be used for medicinal purposes. Some radicals have even gone so far to suggest that those who smoke marijuana recreationally should not be caged in prison like criminals.

Officials remain steadfast that they’re fighting the good fight.

“We’re talking about big-time dealers here,” said Kathryn Janicek, a public information officer within the department. “We’ve seized many dangerous weapons from these sites.”

As for the data (The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department compiled the following statistics from January 2006 to present):

- Value of Marijuana Seized: $28,944,000
- Processed Marijuana (ready for sale) Seized: 333 lbs
- Cash/Accounts Seized: $801,694
- Value of Property Seized: $1,376,600
- Siphoning taxes from the citizenry to fund a self-perpetuating prison state: Priceless

Posted by Matt Snyders at December 14, 2007 2:44 PM | Comments (5)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/14

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

The temperatures are dropping this weekend, and as they do so, my respect for those with the fortitude to bicycle commute every day is rising. Last month I went to one of The Hub's seminars on winter bike commuting, and decided I'd try to get out on the ol' two-wheeler as much as I could this winter. As preparation, we decided to make a photo slideshow of the brave souls that do this every day. That's here, with images by Daniel Corrigan.

Also by Daniel Corrigan, we have a slideshow from Wednesday's burlesque show performed by Le Cirque Rouge. Department of Precognition: Paul Demko has a story about this show in the upcoming week's paper.

We're experimenting with cPod, and this week's episode marks the first step in that transitionary phase. It's going to be longer, Assistant A-List editor Ben Palosaari is going to be assisting Ward Rubrecht with the hosting duties, and we're going to be trying some new things. This week, you can listen to winter stories from news staff Kevin Hoffman, Jeff Severns Guntzel and Jonathan Kaminsky.

"Winning ugly" doesn't refer to South Dakota State's rockin' uniforms, it refers to the Gopher hoops team's skin-of-their-buck-teeth triumph over the Jackrabbits. (The Jackrabbits?) Admit it: you didn't even realize SDSU had a basketball team. You learned something from Benjamin Polk today. I know I did, and now I have that Bjork song stuck in my head.

BRAIN CANDY

Lost in Translation is one of my favorite films, perfectly capturing Tokyo's gargantuan mass and the alienation sometimes experienced by Western visitors. Moreover, from a story perspective, the movie ends with a line you can't hear -- the perfect emblem for the private relationship shared by the Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson characters.

Just because it's narratively perfect, though, doesn't mean we don't want to know what it is that's whispered. And now, due to the miracle of digital audio, we can -- assuming this video is not a hoax:

If it's fake, it's believable. And in fiction, the suspension of disbelief is all that matters.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 14, 2007 7:10 AM | Comments (0)

 

cPod, Episode 11

Filed under: cPod

We mix it up a little for the Winter Issue - Ben Palosaari, the newest recruit to our newsroom, joins me as co-host, and we ask some of our staffers to tell us their best winter story, be it Kevin Hoffman's tale of shoveling woe or Jeff Severn Guntzel's frigid ordeal of rock stars, drunk drivers, and guns.

Download the mp3

Posted by Ward Rubrecht at December 13, 2007 6:26 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/13

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Google Street View has come to Minneapolis, and I have a mild anecdote from next door about what can happen as a result. Share yours in the comments if you like.

In other news, Paul Demko has the story of one man, Bruce, who alerted us to the city doing their part to stop the ice age.

Sarah Askari has a post about the death of Ike Turner, and I have to say his death makes me sad -- sad in the sense that he wasn't choked to death by angry battered women, which would have at least added poetic justice to his demise. We're at that stage immediately following someone's passing where it's thought crass to criticize, but I don't mind being that guy.

You may see written in various news stories surrounding his death that Ike consistently denied Tina Turner's claims that he beat her. This is true in a strict definitional sense, but not in a "adherence to reality" sense. Ike wrote in his autobiography:

Sure, I've slapped Tina... There have been times when I punched her to the ground without thinking. But I never beat her.

He wrote that in 2001 -- in his autobiography. As a rebuttal to all the people that thought he was a violently abusive husband. Just let that sink in for a second. Then ship your sympathies to somebody more deserving.

In a matter of hours we'll have a photo slideshow from last night's burlesque benefit show at First Avenue. Until then, the daily links.

BRAIN CANDY

Jon Stewart's Greatest Gay Moments chronicles the best of the Daily Show host's brickbats thrown at anti-gay individuals and movements. My favorite is the first one, his rare adversarial interview with William Bennett. Bennett tries to argue that gay marriage would make heterosexuals take marriage less seriously, and Stewart scorns him. (Although Stewart does not bring up Ike Turner, who was rumored to be married as many as 14 times).

The word of the year wasn't a word 10 years ago. Merriam-Webster has officially told linguistic prescriptivists to choke on it by affording "w00t" the honor, and even offering a serviceable summary or two about its origins.

Elsewhere in language-related news, the winner of the Wacky Warning Label Contest has staggering existential implications. "Danger: Avoid Death", it warns.

Taken literally, we could caution the author of this sign that his notion ignores Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas on suffering as, or violates Ernest Becker's dictum that to fear death is rob life of its day-to-day meaning. But just as sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes a silly sign is just a silly sign.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 13, 2007 7:38 AM | Comments (0)

 

Word on the Street (Google Street View)

Filed under: Minneapolis

I walked over to our neighborhood cafe, Corner Coffee, the other day. They had just discovered Google Street View, the monolithic web company's new photographic interface.

Evidently our friendly neighborhood latte-slingers were outside doing an outdoor lunch promotion when the Google people drove by on July 10, so tons of folks were outside and got photographed. Pretty stunning and a little weird to see something so close by rendered in this way. Here's the shot in question.

Fortunately, I was out of the country when this was happening, since on the creepy scale (where 1 is Mr. Rogers and 10 is John Wayne Gacy) I think this slots in about 6. Thus, my lucky stars ensured that there are no shots of me to be found herein.

I admit that access to this technology, while creepy, is kind of cool in a creepy way, so maybe 10 should be Gene Simmons, who brought less shame to face paint. And thankfully, as a thong-bedecked lady used to her advantage, you can request that they take photos down. So I guess that's something. I know that if I had an intern, I would instruct them to Google Street View every strip club in Minneapolis. Blackmail potential extraordinaire. Cha-ching!

MNSpeak had a pretty interesting thread on this topic earlier in the week, with a few interesting images. How about you? Seen anything interesting in street view? Feel free to leave them in the comments, and if I can get enough good stuff, maybe I'll do a photo screengrab slideshow.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 12, 2007 2:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

Idle time

Filed under: Minneapolis

We just received a call from a concerned reader pointing out that a Minneapolis city vehicle has been idling in front of his house on the 4200 block of 27th Avenue South for more than an hour. The vehicle is a green, four-door sedan, license plate 08042, and emblazoned with the slogan "Minneapolis City of Lakes."

"Either they're visiting someone around here and have been here way too long or they just forgot to turn it off," says the caller, who only wished to identify himself as Bruce. "We're collectively putting gas in that car. I guess you could file it under your tax dollars at work."

Posted by Paul Demko at December 12, 2007 12:51 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/12

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Matthew Smith's feature for our Winter Guide issue covers scintillating topics like polar exploration and climate change. It also includes the phrase "legions of aggressive polar bears." If that's not enough to get you to read it, I guess we're going to have to put Diablo Cody in it somewhere.

Actually, she's in there already. Honest. It's just all the way at the bottom. Seriously. Just keep scrolling.

News-wise, Matt Snyders profiles Willie Mobley, a top-notch prep football player whose Persian heritage has him keeping a watchful eye on geopolitics.

Winter Guide music: Jonathan Garrett covers Matador Records act Times New Viking. Not-available-in-print music: James Tran photographs the Lemonheads show from Monday at the Varsity Theater.

On the Blotter, Jonathan Kaminsky has two posts tracking another change at the Strib and a judge's musings about constitutional law and the sobriety test.

This Balls! post about statues of sports figures defecating is either the best thing I've ever done in my life or the worst. There is no middle ground. It's like doing a deep night scuba dive and not being able to tell which way is up without following the direction of your bubbles. I've lost my bearings here, people.

Also at Balls!, Paul Demko has soccer news of much interest to Liverpudlians. Yes, Liverpudlians, although you can also call them "Scousers." Demko's other blog post covers Sean Sherk, the local UFC champ stripped of his title belt but promised another crack at the championship. You can call him "Mr. Sherk."

At Culture To Go, Sarah Askari points us to a funny video about Beyonce.

BRAIN CANDY

We talk about global warming in this week's print issue. Last year I was living on a sub-tropical island. Palm trees, white sands, you name it. Sometimes, when the temperature drops low enough, I think about going back to the warm tropical climes.

With today's news that the summer sea ice in the Arctic could be gone within five years, I wonder if the mountain is going to come to Mohammed.

On a lighter note, if you watch Pixar animation films, you've probably seen the same characters over and over without realizing it. Why? Visual in-jokes.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 12, 2007 7:38 AM | Comments (0)

 

Gillespie Named Permanent Strib Editorial Page Editor

Filed under: Media

Scott Gillespie, who had been acting editorial page editor at the Strib since Susan Albright's abrupt departure this fall, was named to the post permanently today. The move leaves the paper in need of a managing editor, which was Gillespie's previous role.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at December 11, 2007 12:49 PM | Comments (0)

 

Judge's Order Questions DWI Convictions

Filed under: Crime

A Hennepin County district court judge has issued an order suppressing information from a breathalyzer test should the defendant in the case not get access to proof of the particular machine's effectiveness within 30 days of requesting it. Judge Jack Nordby wonders whether it is "thinkable, constitutionally, that our society could imprison persons who simply decline to take a test on a machine to whose design, construction, and functioning they do not have complete access?”
Via Minnesota Lawyer.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at December 11, 2007 12:03 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/11

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Music, music, music: My review of the Aimee Mann show at the Guthrie yesterday evening is up now. If you missed it, you missed out. Speaking of missing things, here's a link to my interview with supporting act Nellie McKay if you passed it by earlier in the week.

Coming later this morning: a slideshow from the Lemonheads at the Varsity Theater.

"Wow" count among the four people to whom I've shown this hockey video: three. I think that's a pretty good ratio.

BRAIN CANDY
Cute alert: for the first time, the long-eared jerboa has been documented on film. The mammal looks a bit like a mouse, but with extraordinarily long ears, and it hops like a kangaroo. No, really. Watch the videos.

"And in terms of mammals, they have one of the biggest ear-to-body ratios out there," said Dr. Jonathan Baillie of the Zoological Society of London. Being that it's the BBC and all, I expected to hear a Prince Charles joke there.

In general, I support snow blower fights. Hell, I support organizing snow blower fighters into leagues and using the matches as intermission entertainment for pond hockey. If the person you're fighting with is over 70, though, and the person is a she, and you find yourself choking her ... it might be time to re-evaluate your priorities.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 11, 2007 7:48 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 12/10

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Beginning today, we'll have a Monday morning post chronicling what you missed (or got out to, you scenester you) over the weekend. For the first in a series of weekend wrap-ups, we've got notes on three widely divergent items -- a play performed in Klingon, an African American church's benefit CD recording, and the Jonathan Coulton show. Be sure to scope out the slideshow and video from Kwanzaa Community Church's choir, and look here for audio from Commedia Beauregard's "Klingon Christmas Carol."

Jonathan Kaminsky has a post you shouldn't miss about Dr. William McGuire, the fallen health care mogul. In case you wonder why your co-payment is so high and your insurance doesn't cover what it used to, Kaminsky summarizes, and adds just the right amount of venom.

Hey, Par Ridder news junkies! It was a big weekend for you, culminating in the resignation of the Pi Press Strib ... journalist. Paul Demko looked into the Magic 8 Ball and foreshadowed it, then blogged the resignation as well.

I wonder if that non-compete deal prevents him from working for us. I'm hiring a web intern in the spring. Hmmm ...

Eric Refsland must be good luck. Since he started blogging Vikings games for us, the team's on a roll, and this week's win over the 49ers was so easy he even produced the worst three video moments in San Francisco football history. The T-Wolves' third win of the year also went down this weekend, as Jonathan Kaminsky blogs, so maybe Eric's luck spills over.

BRAIN CANDY

Okay, the housing market is tubed. But that's cool, I don't own a house. And the dollar is tanking. That's cool, I keep my considerable financial assets in rare action figures, hog futures and collectible velvet paintings. There's almost literally no economic news that could throw me ...

... wait, noooooooooooooooooooooo! It's like I'm a stockbroker in 1929. A stockbroker without any beer. Somebody talk me down off the ledge here. (The link is about rising hops prices and the resultant effects on beer)

This link is awash in language nerdery and centers around the word "fuck," so you know I'm all about it. Turns out there is a reasonable and interesting explanation for the most versatile word in English's appearance in so many Chinese signs.

Par Ridder oughtta go work for the Knicks. I know I'm thinking about it. Owner James Dolan has reportedly said he won't fire Isiah Thomas after all, which raises the question: just what does Thomas have to do?

[X] Run team into ground
[X] Mortgage team's future
[X] Become embroiled in multi-million dollar lawsuit
[ ] Commit felony involving James Dolan or Dolan's family

No, that's not Isiah's to-do list. At least, not as far as you know.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 10, 2007 8:00 AM | Comments (1)

 

Over the Weekend: Klingons, Churches and Coulton (Oh My)

Filed under: Over the Weekend

So, a Klingon, a minister, and a a musician walk into a bar. Bartender says, "What is this, a joke?" No, says the journalist (I left him out of the lead-in on purpose) -- it's the weekend in the Twin Cities.

This is the first of a series of Monday morning posts we'll be doing; we'll offer capsules, coverage, multimedia and such centered around 3-5 things that happened from Friday evening through the wee hours of Sunday night. The Internet doesn't sleep, folks, and neither do I.

We begin with a show that Commedia Beauregard Artistic Director Christopher Kidder promised the audience "would be like no other," and boy, did it deliver.

A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL AT THE U OF M-ST. PAUL STUDENT CENTER
I'm of a rare breed, that tribe that walks the middle path on Star Trek. I'm enjoy it as a mild fan, and know most of the major stuff, but I don't -- say -- spend my nights boning up on Romulan culture or Vulan political history. This makes me in some ways the ideal audience experiment for a show like "A Klingon Christmas Carol," which brings the Dickens classic into the world of aggro aliens with forehead rivulets.

Let me say this: I think it would have been funny (if a bit surreal) even if I'd never heard of Star Trek. The bizarre bits of outer space mythos serve as the play's spice, but the clever dialogue and plotting makes this parody an enjoyable twist regardless of whether you have a strong opinion on Kirk vs. Picard.


Grab the disruptors and hide the blood wine, Commedia Beauregarde is in town.

The show was performed almost entirely in the Klingon language (which, as Kidder noted in a pre-show speech, involves quite a bit of involuntary expectoration; "You brought raincoats, right?" he asked me and the other people shortsighted enough to sit in the front row). I was foolish enough to study French and Japanese rather than this play's lingua franca, but concessions were offered -- a screen with English subtitles and a Vulcan narrator who appears throughout.

In this variant, SQuja' (Scrooge) is still a money-grubber, but it's his cowardice rather than his avarice that defines him. Instead of wanting his uncle to feast with him, nephew vreD (Fred) wants ol' SQuja' to show up at the homestead and fight. Tiny Tim (in Klingon parlance, tImHom) is still sickly, but here SQuja' is the bad guy because he won't let QachIt (the Bob Cratchit character) off work to train his son to fight.

Does SQuja' wear the sash of a true warrior by the end of the play? Or will no Klingon sing out a death howl when he dies? Well, you've seen the original, so you can probably guess. You know you want to hear how the language sounds, though, and we aim to please here at The Pages. So here's a brief burst of Klingon from the show to start you off. For a second helping, you can listen to SQuja's paramour, bel, explain that she fell in love with a Klingon, not a Ferengi.

It's funny because Ferengis are money-grubbing, and ... ah, you picked that up from context.

BENEFIT CD RECORDING AT KWANZAA COMMUNITY CHURCH

From the offbeat to the sublime, we travel from the Federation to North Minneapolis, where Kwanzaa Community Church is working to tackling the growing problem of HIV/AIDS in the African American community. Shockingly, Pastor Alika Galloway told me, AIDS has become the No. 1 killer of black women aged 25-44. "But the good news is," she noted, "it can be prevented. Diseases like cancer have a genetic component -- this doesn't. We can stop it."

To help make this happen, the church invited community members to join with the church's spectacular choir in live recording of a CD, "Love Songs For Those Infected and Affected by HIV/AIDS." All proceeds will go to the church's outreach work aimed at preventing the disease.

You can see our photo slideshow of the event and hear some of the sounds by watching the video below. But the recording I was able to get doesn't do the jaw-dropping live sound justice. Who knew "Jesus Loves Me" could be so soulful (pun fully intended)?

AT JONATHAN COULTON: ENTER SANDMAN

Jonathan Coulton's show the other night was terrific, and for his part, Coulton himself thinks we're a heck of an audience. Author and comics legend Neil Gaiman was in attendance to hear the voice behind the "Thing a Week" podcast as well. Speaking of Gaiman, the author of "Sandman" and "American Gods" also served as one of the keynotes for the U of M's "Fantasy Matters" conference some weeks back.

Winter doesn't stop the written and performing arts, and thank goodness for that.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at December 10, 2007 7:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

Thanks for the memories

Filed under: Media

Par Ridder resigns from the Star Tribune

Par Ridder has graced us with so many sublime moments over these last nine months. The stolen laptop. The courageous court testimony. The 8,000 square-foot, $2.73 million mansion. The pilfered non-compete agreements. The shitcanning of the old ladies who answer the phone and the mentally retarded. The outsourcing to India. Excuse me while I wipe a tear from my eye. We'll miss you pal. Drinks are on us. Matt McKinney has the details.

Posted by Paul Demko at December 8, 2007 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

 

Disgraced Healthcare Tycoon Pays Up

Filed under: Health Care

As you've probably heard, Dr. Bill "Your copay going up to $40 for an office visit is the sound of the market working" McGuire agreed yesterday to pony up $420 million he raked in from likely illegal (and unquestionably shameful) backdated stock options and other perks of running UnitedHealth Group, the largest private "health care provider" in the country.

The money is in addition to $198 million the former CEO, shameless crook, and all-around disgraceful human being had already returned to the Minnetonka-based company, and is on top of a record-breaking $7 million fine paid to the SEC to get the feds off his back already. (Don't start feeling too sorry for the guy: Dr. Bill is still keeping more than $800 million in shady stock options—or, looked at another way, his customers' ever-skyrocketing monthly premiums and copays—for himself.)

All told, former UnitedHealth execs have returned more than $900 million in ill-gotten gains to the company's coffers in the backdating scandal.

Given that UnitedHealth is the proud taker of pre-tax dollars from the paychecks here at humble old City Pages, the whole thing feels a bit, um, personal? But dispassionate observers that we are, we've decided it best to just let the numbers speak for themselves.

In a nod to improving customer relations, the company announced the $900 million will go toward eliminating monthly premiums to 681,000 customers for an entire year. Oh wait. We mean, the money will go to lining the pockets of the company's aggrieved shareholders. Our bad.

In light of all this glum news for old man McGuire, we thought it best to gi