January 2008

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Quick! Make More Babies!

Filed under: Minneapolis

Fair denizens of Minneapolis (and foul ones, too), the gauntlet has been thrown down. Raleigh, North Carolina has outpaced us in population.

Fortunately, this places us in 50th, a nice round number. But what's the significance of this statistic? Well, duh. Population is obviously a critical metric of an area's relevance, cultural status and importance. Obviously.

Just listen to this riveting endorsement from an expert as he wonk, wonk, wonkity wonks:

"You're one of the top metro areas in the country. You're about 20 percent of the economic output of the state," said [Bruce] Katz, a vice president of Brookings Institution, an independent research and policy group. "Raleigh is doing quite well in many respects, but they lack a dependable partner at the federal level to realize their full potential."

Bruce Katz's therapist then exorcised the spirit of Hubie Brown from him, eliminating future discursive forays into the second person.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 31, 2008 9:11 PM | Comments (1)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/31

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

No one supports binge drinking, except of course me. But Rep. Morrie Lanning and the Strib trying to curb drink specials in bars adds to some already arcane and goofy liquor laws.

Paul Demko dug into this issue in the past, and as it turns out, the liquor lobby's power has a good deal to do with why I can't buy a bottle of wine in the grocery store. But I want to cook with it -- honest.

A new Violence Policy Center study is passed along by Jeff Severns Guntzel, and the results are sobering. (See what I did there? Sobering?)

Kevin Hoffman's post on Latino support for John McCain evolved into an interesting comment discussion about why that is, and what the implications for future elections are.

BRAIN CANDY

Ah, true love: when a Minnesota National Guardsman went to Iraq, he gave his wife power of attorney. Now, he alleges that she spent all his active duty pay on her boyfriend her in the states, drove him deep into debt, and served him with divorce papers almost immediately on his return.

What we call "bail" here in the U.S., the rest of world calls "outlawed." The practice of charging for release from prison is basically unique to America. This is an interesting article about the ethics and consequences of having a for-profit wing of the judicial system. The unanswered question: who would have sponsored the Bad News Bears if not Chico's Bail Bonds?

Awesome: sharks. Awesomer: sharks hunting seals. Awesomest: pictures of airborne sharks successfully hunting seals.

Unless you happen to be a seal, in which case: not so awesome.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 31, 2008 5:45 AM | Comments (2)

 

As beers go by

Filed under: Media

Coming from Japan back to the United States, one of the oddest adjustments has been the liquor laws. Thinking a beer might go nicely with baked yams and boiled asparagus, I asked the helpful Kowalski's clerk where I might find the beer. He pleasantly showed me around to the O'Doul's.

Yeah yeah, says I, but where's the, you know, beer? The answer of course was "it's at the beer store, and you're out of luck, because it's Sunday." This is a far cry from the land of the rising sun, where your friendly neighborhood grocer has not just Kirin Ichiban, but wine, sake, and liquor that could thin off paint. Not that I'm often awash in liquid enjoyment, but this particular Puritanism put me on a bit of tilt.

Now, there's the Strib's new editorial touting efforts by State Rep. Morrie Lanning (R-Footloose) to combat drink specials in bars. Get me my pitchfork.

Common sense restrictions are fine. To combat binge drinking requires broader social change than legislation can provide, but whatever. If you think you can undermine unhealthy binge drinking through minimal regulations -- and that's the stated intent of Lanning's bills, to hamper college age overconsumption -- then go for it.

The trouble is, it isn't just overconsumptive college students that get the nanny state treatment. Do yuppies treating themselves to D'Amico's limitless house wine really need to be protected from the saucy embrace of the wild Cabernet? Don't we all deserve a free drink special now and then? Haven't Japanese businessmen proven that adults can handle an all-you-can drink deal?

OK, forget that last one. Instead, sing with me these maxims:

* First, they came for your liquor on Sundays, and I did not speak up.
* Then, they came for beer in grocery stores, and I did not speak up.
* Finally, they came for my booze, and I was too drunk to speak up.

The moral of the story is ... fool me once, shame on ... someone? Shit, I forget. Pass the peanuts. And the house wine, while you still can.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 30, 2008 5:29 PM | Comments (6)

 

Minnesota ranks high in black murder victims

Filed under: Crime

The Violence Policy Center just released a report on what it is calling a "national crisis" of black homicide victims. FBI statistics for 2005 were studied and Minnesota tied New Jersey for 16th largest rate of black murder victims per capita.

The report also highlights these bleak findings:

Blacks in the United States are disproportionately affected by homicide. For the year 2005, blacks represented 13 percent of the nation’s population, yet accounted for 48 percent of all homicide victims. For the age groups 15 to 19, 20 to 24, and 25 to 34, homicide represents the leading cause of death for blacks in America. As noted at the beginning of this study, the devastation homicide inflicts on black teens and adults is a national crisis, yet it is all too often ignored outside of affected communities.

Read a summary of the report here.

Download the entire report here.

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at January 30, 2008 9:38 AM | Comments (1)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/30

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

The Slumlord of South Minneapolis, Jonathan Kaminsky's feature this week, uses the power of the Web in a way that I wish more investigative projects would. Many of the facts in the story can be corroborated by supporting legal documents, and within the story you can find links to image files that verify important facts.

Also, we created an interactive map of properties owned by the story's subject, Spiros Zorbalas.

A small version of that map is here:

View Larger Map

The end of an era has come. Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl has penned her final column for us, and it's of course a must read. We wish Dara all the best for her great work over the years, and we're excited to begin our new, expanded food coverage with Rachel Hutton, James Norton and Bridgette Reinsmoen.

Ever want to be a porn star? Patrick Strait tried to become one when he visited the Adult Video Awards. He came up, uh, short. If you catch my meaning.

Drama in local Spanish language media: Kaminsky's story about Radio Rey and upstart challenger La Invasora contains several intriguing elements, including the following:

[Radio Rey owner Guadalupe "Don Lupe"] Gonzalez also charged that during their confrontation in his office, [Alberto] Monserrate, [owner of Latino Communications Network] "got inches away from my face" and said he "was going to start a war," according to Gonzalez's affidavit.

Monserrate, as the story notes, categorically denies this. Pity. We need more of this in Twin Cities media. Just last week I said this self-same thing to the people who put out the Kingfield Neighborhood Newsletter.

National talk of why infrastructure is such a crucial issue comes from the NYT's Bob Herbert, who cites the 35W bridge collapse as his central example. Herbert explains why funding infrastructure projects is one of the best investments America can make in its future.

You know about our expanded food content that debuts next month. Here's another, smaller scale new project: Nate Patrin and others are going to begin regularly reviewing video games for us. Nate's first crack at this -- which might result in a dedicated blog at some point after March -- is the latest in the Burnout series of racing games. It's an extensive, in-depth review with screenshots, and we're going to try to do more of these longer posts.

Another exciting new initiative is going to pop up in the next week, related to local arts. Stay tuned.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that Bam Bam the monkey will be spared. If I thought he'd get along with my dogs, I'd adopt him myself.

The best pitcher in baseball was traded. By us. To the Mets. For less than the Mariners are giving up for Erik Bedard. I'm putting my bankroll on local Prozac futures.

Elephants in the Room saw another primary liveblog. It (thankfully) didn't take as long as we'd feared to find a winner. Three of yesterday's posts from Elephants that I think are worth revisiting are Jeff Severns Guntzel's remembrance of Rudy on race issues, this post highlighting John McCain's devastating attack ad on Mitt Romney and my review of the concession speeches.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 30, 2008 5:11 AM | Comments (0)

 

NYT's Herbert: Fix the bridges, help fix the country

Filed under: Bridge Collapse

The economy's in the tank and the 35W bridge is just a memory. The solutions to these problems, says the New York Times' Bob Herbert, go hand in hand.

When you invest in infrastructure, you invest in the country, the people who use bridges and ferries and roads to go to work. You invest in the businesses that employ them, the workers that have jobs (and the folks who'll get the jobs an infusion of spending will create). Not to mention making sure that the aforementioned bridges don't sink, that the roads are safe, and that the bridges are load-bearing.

The time hook for this comes from efforts by Senator Chris Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, and Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska. The bipartisan tandem wants to build a national infrastructure bank that will push and fund large-scale infrastructure initiatives nationwide. With manufacturing and construction jobs being lost the last several years, such public spending wouldn't just get us safer cities -- it would give the economy a much-needed shot in the arm.

This isn't just a compelling argument, it's common sense. As Herbert notes, economic boosts from investing America are historical facts:

We appear to have forgotten the lessons of history. Time and again an economic boom has followed periods of sustained infrastructure improvement. It’s impossible to calculate all of the benefits from (to mention just a few) the Erie Canal, which connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and helped make New York America’s premier city; the rural electrification program and other capital improvements of the New Deal; the interstate highway program of the Eisenhower administration.

The tremendous costs and vast reach of today’s infrastructure requirements means that the federal government has to take a leadership role. It’s inevitable. The only question is when.

To quote the musical query once asked by The Smiths: How soon is now?

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 29, 2008 5:16 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/29

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

Tuesday is the feistiest of all days of the week. It all starts with the name. The name comes from the Old English term Tiwes dæg, which refers to the Nordic god Tyr, deity of war.

So it's fitting that the Republican candidates are scrapping with each other while preparing for the first of two successive throwdowns. We'll be following the Florida primary live on Elephants in the Room as the road to the brokered convention continues.

With the whole "god of war" connection and all, I guess I should have posted Philosopher or Warrior on a Tuesday. But then a lot of people would say that every day has been Tyr's Day for the past five years.

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

In advance of the all-important Florida primary tonight, Matt Smith levied his predictions for which Republican candidates will drop out of the race in what order. Shockingly, followers of one candidate took the opportunity to spam the blog within minutes of the post's publication. If Google alerts were keyed to Pig Latin, the candidate's name would be Onray Aulpay. He's like Beetlejuice, except you only have to say his name once.

Newspapers hate Rudy Giuliani! And he hates them back! Because you know who reads newspapers? Liberals! He wants you to know this so badly, he took out a new ad to tell you that no newspaper is endorsing him in advance of the Florida primary. I get the feeling no newspaper is going to endorse him after the primary, either, because he will go down in flames like a tax-fattened hyena.

As is custom a few days before the month ends, we recap The Month in Photos.

Quinton Skinner took his son to TwinsFest and mused about the business of sport while reporting on the sights and sounds. This is one of the first signs of spring, and before you know it, pitchers and catchers will be reporting.

Three Questions finds Ben Palosaari interviewing Gregory Maguire, who reinvents fairy tales to different narrative effect.

Feel the foodie love for our new critics Rachel Hutton and James Norton. This time it's coming from Andrew Zimmern.

Is the housing economy as bad as you think it is? No, it's worse. The graph from this post gives you an idea why.

Blotter is pretty close to a wildlife blog these days. Between Bam Bam the Monkey, the new orangutan baby, and now sharks eating other sharks, it's like Trials of Life out there. Just wait until I talk the zoo into letting me swim with their new pair of dolphins.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 29, 2008 5:40 AM | Comments (0)

 

Andrew Zimmern endorses City Pages food critics

Filed under: City Pages

Noted food critic and Travel Channel star Andrew Zimmern gave a generous shout-out to our new food critics on his blog today:

"City Pages announced who its new food critics will be, and it unveiled plans for expanded restaurant coverage both in the paper and online. Taking over Dara’s chair covering the new and noteworthy openings is Rachel Hutton, formerly of Mn Mo, and James Norton, whose work I have referenced before on this blog, will cover the ‘deals on meals’ angle. All of this begins on February 20, and both of the new hires will be blogging and podcasting as well. I like the work of both these writers, and CP’s commitment to its food section and its plans to grow it is good for the local food scene."

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at January 28, 2008 10:13 PM | Comments (1)

 

New home sales in image form

Filed under: Economy

The dismal science is detail-laden, so it's easy to glaze over at talk of federal reserve policy and forget the impact it has on your life. That's why I'm a big fan of the graphical representation. Unsure of what a few percentage points one way or the other means? Me, too. Pictures! I want pictures!

Hence the effect of this graph of new home sales nationwide. If the economy were that Cliffhanger game from The Price is Right, our little Bavarian climber would be tumbling down those little red lines, bonking his head on each red step.

We knew the housing market was bad. The image shows how bad. This is in concordance with local data, too, as hundreds of new homes are selling for tens of thousands less than the initial list price.

(Expanded image of the graph is here.)

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 28, 2008 1:22 PM | Comments (0)

 

Shark Attack!

Filed under: Mall of America

First a monkey assault. Now a shark attack.

In a disturbing/awesome instance of shark-on-shark cannibalism, the Mall of America's Underwater Adventures was the scene of feral aggression Friday when a sand tiger shark named Jessie--which at nine feet long and over 300 pounds is the aquarium's largest shark--took a bite out of a white tip reef shark about half her size.

Desperate to avoid a feeding frenzy, workers rushed to save the bleeding victim and pulled her out with feeding tongs. The maimed shark is expected to make a full recovery and was reportedly delicious.

Hat tip: KARE 11.

Posted by Matt Snyders at January 28, 2008 12:27 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/28

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

As always, a wrap-up of what you might have missed from Friday-Sunday can be found in Over the Weekend. Bored with words? Who isn't? Then turn to our four (count 'em) new slideshows from the weekend's events:

* Winter Carnival images featuring the Ha Family's Chinese New Year Performance (James Tran)
* Golf on top of frozen White Bear Lake (Tony Nelson)
* Pro wrestling photos from Anarchy Rules at First Avenue (Daniel Corrigan)
* Dosh and Mystery Palace at Triple Rock (Tony Nelson)

Check out Over the Weekend for Web intern Andy Mannix's recap of the Chinese New Year celebration at U of M.

Paul Demko updates Slaughterhouse Rules, his story about union organizing at a meat processing plant.

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer wins a straw poll.

You're a Timberwolves fan. You want to be excited by the win over the Suns. We don't blame you. But Benjamin Polk relates why it's a bit sad as well.

BRAIN CANDY

Salacious details make this a fun read, but mostly the story of the Detroit mayor's affair brings to mind one of the serious maxims I unequivocally endorse: don't cheat. It never ends well.

And you thought the Polar Bear Plunge was hardcore? Check out this tantric master who immersed himself in ice for more than an hour. Someone needs to talk Sting into doing this.

If there's a Hell, Suharto's there now.

This is the first take of "Weird Al" Yankovic and Donny Osmond doing an alternate version of the "White and Nerdy" video. Believe me when I say that I am glad I watched this.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 28, 2008 7:49 AM | Comments (0)

 

Nelson-Pallmeyer wins senate straw poll

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer beat out his two Democratic rivals in a straw poll conducted this afternoon at TakeAction Minnesota's annual meeting. The University of St. Thomas professor and anti-war activist received 140 votes from attendees, while Al Franken was the top choice of 107 particpants. Mike Ciresi received a paltry nine votes. All three DFL senate candidates, hoping to take on embattled Republican incumbent Norm Coleman, attended the progressive nonprofit group's gathering. Ciresi, however--perhaps sensing that this wasn't a particularly friendly crowd for the moderate attorney--left early.

Franken and Nelson-Pallmeyer stuck around to take questions. The latter drew frequent applause by calling for a single-payer health-care system, more stringent enforcement of the country's labor laws, and a rapid end to the Iraq War. He pointed out that the U.S. spends more on the Iraq War in seven minutes than it does annually on aid to Somalia.

Franken offered less red meat for the progressive activists, but did draw hearty cheers during his closing statement. "It isn't enough for Bush to go," he said. "His enablers have to go too--and Norm Coleman is number one on that list."

The informal poll has no binding significance, but it shows that Nelson-Pallmeyer will likely be more than just a liberal nuisance in the DFL-endorsement process. All three candidates have stated that they will abide by the party's endorsement.

TakeAction Minnesota was created in 2005 from the merger of Progressive Minnesota and the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action. The group has already proven to be a formidable grassroots force in city and state elections.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 27, 2008 4:15 PM | Comments (5)

 

Slaughterhouse workers back union

Filed under: Business

Workers at the Dakota Premium Foods beef processing plant in South St. Paul voted yesterday to retain union representation. Employees backed United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789 by a 152-82 margin.

More than seven years ago, the predominantly Hispanic workforce walked off the job to protest dangerous working conditions. A month later they voted to join the UFCW. But negotiating a labor contract proved to be a bitterly contentious process that dragged on for two years. (For the full backstory see "Slaughterhouse Rules".)

The decertification vote was prompted when at least 30 percent of workers signed cards advocating for a referendum on union representation. Local 789 waged a vigorous campaign to preserve collective bargaining--visiting workers homes, leafleting outside the plant, and holding meetings at the union hall.

The slaughterhouse's current labor contract expired in June. Negotiations on a new agreement have gone nowhere. UFCW officials hope to re-start talks immediately.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 26, 2008 9:01 AM | Comments (1)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/25

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Welcome aboard Rachel Hutton and James Norton, our new additions to the cuisine team. They'll be supplemented by offerings from Bridgette Reinsmoen, our copy chief and contributor to our soon-to-be dedicated food blog.

Ever wondered what a Dan Deacon show looks like? If you didn't catch him at First Ave. last night, check out Jeff Severns Guntzel's post with video.

Not news: Republican political operative does something vile. News: Republican political operative with odd tattoo and alternative sexual proclivities starts organization (fronted by man named "Noodles") for the sole purpose of calling Hillary Clinton the worst slur possible related to the female anatomy. This is a weird tale, folks.

Ah, machine politics. Paul Demko has the latest about a political slush fund involving Rep. John Kline.

Sure, decades of literature shows that Ron Paul -- at a minimum -- surrounds himself with the worst kind of racist troglodytes. That doesn't mean he can't rock and/or roll with his boy Lenny Kravitz. Hey, the conservative musician schtick worked for Huckabee, right?

Holy crap, the Wolves beat the Suns! And Benjamin Polk is there to glory in it.

BRAIN CANDY

I admit it: I have a weakness for watches. It's one of my only concessions to vanity and consumption. Also, I love odd things. This is one reason the hardest to read Tokyoflash watches appeal to me. I mean, look at those things! They are masterpieces of oddness.

The Dugong Show will go on for at least some time longer. Okinawa has one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the world, and one of the coolest critters offshore is the critically endangered and culturally significant Okinawa dugong. There are less than 50 remaining, and they all live around a coral reef -- in an area where the U.S. plans to build a military base. Yesterday, though a federal judge issued an injunction that will stop construction for at least 90 days. (This is one of the issues I'm writing about in a yet-to-be-published book. Get some background on it here.)

There are a lot of web extras to go along with Jeff Severns Guntzel's feature about photographer Alec Soth. One that we're happy with is the audio slideshow, which shows Soth talking about his work as the work scrolls by.

This piece got me thinking, perhaps I ought publish a list of the audio slideshows we've published in the last three months that you might have missed. Each one is different -- some are set to music, others to interview sounds. All are, in my opinion, worth your time. Here are our soundslides about:

* The Mall of America, which tracks Matt Snyders' week living in the monument to capitalism

* The Hold Steady, part of our package about the Minnesota-rooted band

* Boy, Interrupted, which went along with our story about a man suffering an eating disorder

* Retrorama, which documented the History Museum's fun foray in 1950s pulp culture

* I Couldn't Live at Home, about local spoken word artists tackling the tough topic of being forced from one's home

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 25, 2008 8:06 AM | Comments (0)

 

Announcing our new food section

Filed under: City Pages

I'm proud to announce that City Pages has hired two new food critics and will soon launch an ambitious new dining section in print and online.

Our lead columnist, Rachel Hutton, is a familiar voice to Twin Cities foodies. For the past six years, she has been covering the local dining scene for Minnesota Monthly, where she won three awards from the Minnesota Magazine and Publications Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. A graduate of Stanford University, Hutton edited the essay collection Before the Mortgage in 2006. Hutton's column will critique the Twin Cities' newest buzz-worthy restaurants and provide perspective on movers, shakers, and food makers across the local landscape.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to write a weekly column," Hutton says. "For a long time, City Pages has been the must-read resource for anybody who cares about dining in the Twin Cities, and I'm excited to build on that legacy."

Hutton will be joined by James Norton, with whom she previously worked at Minnesota Monthly. Norton is a weekly columnist for CHOW.com, and has contributed food writing to Salon.com and Popular Science. Norton will write a weekly half-page column that explores our local restaurant scene from a street-level perspective—think great meals for under $20 and bars with specials on unique drinks.

"I get a kick out of eating anything from mini cubanos at Chino Latino to gyros at Holy Land to wings from Shorty & Wags," Norton says. "A lot of the best eating in the Twin Cities can be found out in the neighborhoods, and rooting it out promises to be a tremendous amount of fun."

Both Hutton and Norton will be regular contributors to a new food blog, which we’ll be launching soon. The blog will feature fresh daily content and a Friday podcast hosted by Hutton and Norton.

Our new dining section debuts in the February 20 issue. Bridging the gap will be two columns by longtime City Pages copy chief Bridgette Reinsmoen, who will also be a contributor to the food blog.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at January 25, 2008 8:00 AM | Comments (11)

 

John Kline's political slush fund

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Ken Silverstein has an intriguing Minnesota-related post over at Washington Babylon. The veteran muckraker delves into a fundraising organization known as the "Freedom & Security PAC" that was created in July. Silverstein discovered that the Minnesota-based leadership PAC is the work of Rep. John Kline. In fact the treasurer of the Freedom & Security PAC also happens to handle the funds for the 2nd District Congressman's re-election campaign.

Such political action committees are largely unregulated and allow donors to make contributions of up to $5,000. Politicians then use the funds to ladle out cash to the campaigns of political allies.

Silverstein makes the case that the Freedom & Security PAC is substantially funded by companies who benefited from a Kline co-sponsored bill that reduced pension obligations for some businesses. Corporations such as Northwest Airlines and United Postal Service achieved significant savings through the 2006 legislation. According to federal filings, in August UPS spent $2,750 to throw a fundraiser for the Congressman's newly created slush fund. So far the PAC has raised roughly $43,000.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 24, 2008 6:40 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/24

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Philosopher or Warrior is the second-best thing I've ever done with my life, and I can die happy now. In fact, I probably should, because it's all downhill from here. While I bide time, take the quiz and see if you can pick which statement comes from the life of Martin Heidegger and which from pro wrestler The Ultimate Warrior. I have to find more opportunities to use vibrating animations of wrestlers.

More zany monkey fun from Ward Rubrecht, as we collectively decide what name fits the fuzzy orange fellow who has newly arrived at the Como Zoo. Shades of Mr. Splashy Pants the whale, I wish Como would let us actually pick a fun name.

(What this site needs is another monkey post. If they hadn't taken down this Backpage.com ad, we'd have had one, too.)

Is Diablo Cody going to win an Oscar? Signs point to maybe, says Matt Smith.

You know, people hate Rudy Giuliani. And I wrote this post even before polls started showing him with a shot to finish fourth in Florida, the one state where he's been campaigning hard.

The housing market sucks no matter where you are. But it sucks harder in certain neighborhoods, and this post examines where those are.

I'll be on 107.1 FM at 2 p.m. today doing my regular "what to do over the weekend" spiel, and maybe an extra segment or two.

BRAIN CANDY

Here's this week's summation of the most popular stories, slideshows and posts of the preceding seven days. As you might expect, it's dominated by Real Life Superheroes.

Scroll through the rest of last week's greatest hits, and maybe you'll find something you missed. C'mon, all your friends are doing it. You'll look really cool.

TOP FIVE STORIES
Real Life Superheroes
Antojito Paradise
Slaughterhouse Rules
Atmosphere's free record
Music A-list

TOP FIVE SLIDESHOWS
Real Life Superheroes
Polar Bear Plunge
Def Repplica
Necro
Best New Bands of 2007

TOP FIVE BLOG POSTS
Ron Paul and MLK Day
Real Life Superheroes expanded content
Huckabee gets Colbert bump
Giuliani and Ron Paul: which is fringe?
African Cup Soccer

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 24, 2008 8:16 AM | Comments (2)

 

Name That Ape

We primates at City Pages found reason to celebrate when, in December, the Como Zoo (and happy parents Jambu Aye and Markisa) were blessed with the arrival of a new baby boy orangutan. The saffron-furred fellow was delivered by c-section, one of only 9 documented zoo births of orangutans using the procedure.

But let's get down to brass tacks: the baby's name is up for grabs. Interested parties can "vote" by donating money to the zoo, and on the 18th of February, the zoo will announce which name garnered the most donations. Unfortunately, the zoo has already chosen its three candidate names: Jaya, Pandu, and Bejo.

These names are a little, um, boring. So let's spice it up--below I've posted some City Pages picks for the new tree-swinger's AKA. Send a donation to the zoo (1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul) with your choice--and post below to let us know your vote, or offer your own suggestion.

* Mr. Monkey Face
* George W. Bush
* Sir Walter von Monkey
* Lil' Dr. Zaius
* Inmate 6500A
* I Fling Poo
* Bam-Bam II: The Reckoning
* The Ron Paul Monkey

Posted by Ward Rubrecht at January 23, 2008 2:47 PM | Comments (4)

 

Housing crunch: wide disparity among neighborhoods

Filed under: Economy

The Minneapolis Real Estate Blog has an interesting post about housing costs in the area and how the market has such a wide neighborhood-to-neighborhood variance.

A lot to process here, some of which is common knowledge (the crisis is deep, and affects certain areas more dramatically than others), but there are details about how what's occurring has a snowball effect.

The foreclosure and short sales taking place in Camden, Phillips and North Minneapolis are not only often becoming eyesores in the community, they are also dragging average sales prices down substantially.

Though these areas are full of homeowners that maintain their homes, having empty places sprinkled all around undermines their equity. There's a helpful graph which gives you a visual indicator of what areas have actually increased in value (few, and not much) and what areas have plummeted in value (much more).

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 23, 2008 2:18 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/23

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

This Christmas, I asked Santa to deliver certain gifts to the rest of the staff, including Ward Rubrecht. Let me just point out that Santa came through.

I'm not sure if eleventy billion people will read Jeff Severns Guntzel's feature on photographer Alec Soth, but I hope so. If you're one of them, make sure to scope our expanded web content:

* The author's reporter's notebook, which includes numerous anecdotes, photographs and video

* An audio slideshow (1:30) where Soth talks about his creative process while the photos he made scroll by,

* A photo gallery of Soth's work

Elsewhere from the print issue, Paul Demko explains how the decimation of the Minneapolis civil rights department happened under new head Michael Jordan's watch.

It was celebrity endorsement Tuesday at Elephants in the Room. First, Jonathan Kaminsky graced us with a post about who Republican celebrities are voting for, a spectacle worth seeing if only for the photo of Vince Van Patten's dad. Then, Kevin Hoffman upped the ante with a short film we produced featuring an endorsement from Jesus himself. Also inside are links to past CP-produced videos.

Who doesn't like free music? Especially if it's quality indie pop from Great Britain? Take a look at this defunct label that has put their entire catalog online.

The gloomy economic news extends to the Strib, and it's worse than previously feared.

"Dumbfuckingest" is my new favorite word.

If you're keeping score at home, and God knows I am, Ben Palosaari's last posts have been about pie and fast food. Maybe it's time to start mixing a salad in, Benji.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 23, 2008 5:30 AM | Comments (0)

 

Reporter's Notebok: Alec Soth

Filed under: Photography

Alec Soth grew up a pathologically shy kid in Chanhassen. These days, he has a body of work that is a sort of documentary history of his encounters with strangers.

Soth flipping through Perfect Strangers. Photo: Nick Vlcek)

At his St. Paul studio, he pulls a black box labeled "1993-1995" from his shelves of archived negatives and proof sheets. Inside sits a stack of black and white prints from a project he called "Perfect Strangers."

Often, he would just call numbers from City Pages personal ads (these were the pre-internet days) and slog though a lot of rejections. Or he'd go to the park. Or find kids at the State Fair.

"I would just photograph every type of person." He says, flipping through the prints. "It was the process of learning why one person is more interesting than another. I was terrified. I would be shaking."

He's performing a hushed assessment of each photo: "This is my kind of guy...she's not...she is..."

Doing this, he learned what he likes--though he can't quite put it in words--and he learned how to deal with strangers.

"I'm much more focused now and I can weed out a lot of stuff beforehand."

Soth's studio manager Eric Carroll at his desk. Photo: Nick Vlcek

Eric Carroll, Soth's studio manager and sometimes photo assistant, says he learned quick that "every time Alec clicks the shutter, he does so with conviction."

"It speaks volumes about his pre-editing process," he adds. "I would argue that most of Alec's working process is researching, dreaming, and thinking about the pictures he wants to make before he goes out in the world with his camera."

Carroll tells a pretty amazing story of his first time out with Soth as a photo assistant. His most important task was loading the 8x10 negatives for Soth's camera into cartridges that slide into it from the side.

The photographer and his assistant were in a Best Western in Park Rapids, MN. Soth's requirements for a hotel are Wi-Fi and a bathroom with no windows (for loading and unloading light-sensitive film). It was a shoot for W magazine and Carroll was tasked with loading somewhere between 60 and 80 film cartridges.

Soth dictated his process to Carroll:

1. Load in the bathtub--it minimizes dust.

2. If the light in the bathroom is fluorescent, be sure its been off for ten minutes because the glow can fog the film.

3. Stuff a towel in the gap at the bottom of the door.

Soth dropped number four on his way out the door: "Oh, by the way, when I do this I usually do it naked." Again, to minimize the dust. "It was sort of a Columbo move," Carroll says.

"So when the day is done and Alec is wading through his email," Carroll says. "I spend 3-4 hours in a cramped bathroom, naked, unloading the day's film and loading up new film for the next day."

It's a high stakes thing: "You realize," he says, "all that has to happen is a quick burst of light and everything we did that day, everywhere we drove, and every person we tried to convince to be in a photograph was in vain."

Weinstein Gallery owner Martin Weinstein. Photo: Alec Soth

When Martin Weinstein (of Minneapolis' Weinstein Gallery) first visited Soth in his studio in 2000, he liked some of what he saw and told Soth to "call when you get 10 great pictures." When Soth is reminded of this comment, he laughs and says: "That sounds like Martin."

The two have a tight relationship. Soth has a gallery in Minnesota and one in New York City. His local gallery is Weinstein's. They've been friends for years.

But where Weinstein is looking for a handful of great photographs, Soth thinks more like what he calls "a book photographer, not a wall photographer."

"I'm interested in the way 30 pictures relate to each other," he says. "And I know half of them are not going to be great pictures. But they are going to lead you to the great picture and they have a weight to them as a group."

Soth in his St. Paul Studio. Photo: Nick Vlcek

In this spirit Soth has been rummaging through the "ephemera" of his various projects--which include Sleeping by the Mississippi (photos taken during his travels along the length of the river), Niagara (photos taken at and around Niagara Falls, and Dog Days, Bogota (photos taken in Columbia, where he lived for two months while he and his wife Rachel completed the adoption of their daughter Carmen, now 5). He's thinking of including a wall or a room of these scraps for an upcoming exhibit of his work in Paris.

Soth's ephemera is scattered over a large table. There are the "dream notes" his subjects wrote for the Mississippi project--a sort of ice breaker assignment for the strangers he met. "My dream is to be famous," reads one. "My dream is to keep Matthew out of trouble," reads another.

There are also photographs from his Mississippi trips he never published. And there is a sign he nicked from a brothel: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PICK ANOTHER LADY AT ANY TIME. And from his Niagara project, love letters he collected.

"If there was a nice apartment and I have a decent job," goes one run-on sentence of a letter, "and you felt happy and thought there could be a nice history together would you come home?"

Ephemera on a table in Soth's St. Paul studio. Photo: Nick Vlcek

For his most recent project, Fashion Magazine, Soth was commissioned by Magnum International, a highly selective, notoriously fussy collective of photographers founded in the aftermath of World War II by iconic photographers Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

The assignment was literally to create a fashion magazine. Soth flew to Paris and took photos of models in their homes and a fashion show at the Grand Palais. And he learned that models weren't really his thing.

The problem, he says, is they are incapable of being natural. "They can't help themselves--I'm not interested in people who are famous or who get photographed all the time.

French designer Fifi Chachnil in Paris. Photo: Alec Soth

"I was going to photograph Michael Stipe last week but I got out of it," he says. "I did have this idea of photographing him from really far away and seeing if I could get the magazine to go with it. So like having Stipe on a street corner and then being like three blocks away with my camera--just to feel my distance from all of that."

Jonathan Raymond, an art critic who writes, among other places, in Artforum, said of Soth when his work first appeared in NYC n 2004:

"Soth's work represents an old-fashioned kind of image-making...these are scrupulously accomplished photos."

Charles, Vasa, Minnesota. Photo: Alec Soth

I asked Raymond to put Soth's work in context and take a stab at explaining why Soth's work exploded the way it did in 2004.

He sees Soth as a sort of respite from the enormous and cinematic photography (think Jeff Wall) that germinated in the 70's and became quite popular in the 90's.

"I think people wanted more earth in their art and Soth really does that in a great way. His work returns to a tradition of the road photographer who goes out and documents real people and places and lets the decay of the world show."

Soth's list of subjects for Niagara, taped to his steering wheel. Photo: Alec Soth

When Soth is out on the road, he often has a list of subjects taped to his steering wheel.

His Niagara list read something like this:

- Man in pajamas

- Scratched out picture

- Night falls

- Wallpaper

- Shower curtain (someone behind?)

- Hotel pools

- Missing dog

Niagara photo: Alec Soth

Recalling his first studio above what used to be the Acadia coffee shop on Franklin and First, Soth tells an amusing story of early ambition:

"I've tried being different kinds of photographer. My first studio had a little skylight and I thought to myself: I’m gonna do try to turn a buck here and make a pretty still-life. My mom is an interior decorator and I thought maybe she could help.

"So I did these flower pictures and they are really not pretty--I'm not capable of making that kind of pretty picture. Even with still-lifes I had to dirty it up and put some old meet in there or something. It's just not for me."

But, he adds, "I never say never. I do have fantasies."

In our conversations, there was something Soth said many times that sticks with me because it can be true of journalism too:

"Photography is an excuse to engage the world."

Soth at work. Photographer unknown. Photo courtesy of Alec Soth

LINKS, VIDEOS, AND MORE PHOTOS!

Still want more? Me too. Here you go...

Alec Soth's website is full of good stuff. And there is plenty to look at.

Alec Soth's blog, which may or may not be resurrected someday, a blast. I went back and read everything for this piece, and I could do it again. No money for art school? Soth's blog is a good place to begin your education.

Art Fag City is a fun blog on art and photography. And Paddy Johnson was good enough to respond generously to my emails about Soth.

5B4 is a blog on photography books. It's a favorite of Soth's and an amazing read.

Magnum is, well, Magnum.

Eric Carroll, Soth's studio manager, is an artist and has a great site.

Karolina Karlic, who has assisted Soth many times on shoots all over the place, is an amazing photographer. Check out her work.

The Weinstein Gallery is Soth's gallery in Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program put together a great short documentary on Soth. Here it is, in three parts...

Part One: On Assignment

Part Two: Portraiture

Part Three: The Ground Glass

And here, for you hardcore types, are some final photographs courtesy of Nick Vlcek...

Soth in the darkroom of his St. Paul studio.

The layout for Soth's upcoming exhibit, his biggest ever, in Paris.

Soth's floor-freezer sized studio printer, working overtime in advance of the Paris show.

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at January 23, 2008 12:53 AM | Comments (0)

 

Diablo Cody on David Letterman

Filed under: Pop Culture

David Letterman plays an important role in the Diablo Cody mystique. Back when she was just a humble stripper/memoirist, Diablo made her now legendary first appearance on Letterman, where she was bequeathed with the first and only "Dave's Book Club" stamp of approval. For those who haven't seen it, here's the now-famous star turn:

So it was with much anticipation that I tuned into her triumphant return on Tuesday night. Details after the jump.

Diablo looked liked a latter-day Bettie Page in a leopard-print cocktail dress. No sooner was she introduced than Dave brought up her book, rakishly suggesting that Candy Girl should be her next screenplay. Not to be outdone, Cody sarcastically explained why it likely won't happen: "I finally have a modicrum of credibility with the whole Oscar thing. I'll go write Juggs The Movie."

The most memorable part of the first Letterman appearance was Cody's claim that if the writing gig didn't work out she'd get "right back on the pole," and she referenced it by saying that was no longer an option. "I would go back to it if the goods weren't aging," she said. But she went on to explain that "phone sex is great training for a screenwriter."

Toward the end, Dave wanted his share of the Oscar glory, saying, "I like to think I had something to do with this."

To which Diablo said, "I think you did!"

I'll post a YouTube clip of the latest appearance as soon as it becomes available. In the mean time, please to enjoy Matt Smith's probing interview with Diablo Cody, or peruse the archive of her blog, Pussy Ranch.

Here's the YouTube clip of last night's appearance (Thanks Jason!):

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at January 23, 2008 12:10 AM | Comments (1)

 

Star Tribune faces bleak financial future

Filed under: Media

The last twelve months witnessed unprecedented turmoil at the Star Tribune. Apparently 2008 won't be any better for the state's largest daily newspaper. MinnPost's David Brauer has posted Strib publisher Chris Harte's grim memo detailing the company's economic prospects that went out to employees earlier today.

Despite the newspaper exec's half-hearted attempts at glass-half-full rhetoric ("I don't mean to be gloomy, because I'm basically an optimist ..."), the facts are relentlessly bleak. Strib revenues have dropped by $75 million over the last two years despite repeated personnel cuts. Not surprisingly classified advertising has led the bleeding, with a staggering 50-percent reduction since the start of the decade. What's more, operating cash flow--the money left over after expenses--has also dropped by half over just the last two years. While Harte notes that newspapers across the country are facing similar difficulties, he acknowledges that the Strib's economic performance has been "well below the median for our industry."

What does this mean going forward? The Strib has hired Restructuring Associates out of Washington, D.C. to help solve the problems. This grimly named company specializes in bringing management and unions together to come up with creative financial solutions. Given that the newspaper has already shitcanned the old ladies who answer the phones and the mentally retarded, outsourced ad design to India, and cut back on office garbage removal to a degree that has led to rat sightings, the road forward can't be pretty. Apparently finally kicking Par Ridder to the curb didn't portend an end to the daily newspaper's misery.

For the full background on the Strib's ongoing meltdown, see the CP cover stories "Trials and Stribulations" and "The McClatchy Strib: RIP. WTF?"

Posted by Paul Demko at January 22, 2008 8:49 PM | Comments (2)

 

A local connection to Kenyan violence

Filed under: Imported

Speaking of true crime (see posts below), Minnesota Monitor has this amazing report about the death of Wesly Ngetich, two-time winner of the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth. As the world becomes more interconnected, tragedy is always just six degrees of separation away.

UPDATE: The Duluth News Tribune has a profile of Ngetich (italics added):

According to information provided by his manager, Hussein Makke of West Chester, Pa., Ngetich was killed by a shot through the chest with an arrow in his hometown region of Trans Mara, Kenya. Ngetich, 34, was married with three children, ages 8, 6 and 1.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at January 22, 2008 9:39 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/22

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

True crime has never been my thing, although it's very popular with readers nationwide. Whether that's the case with you or not, I'm betting you'll find this story riveting. Jeff Severns Guntzel gathers up a decades-old mystery and brings it to you, with links.

Intriguing comments are popping up on the site, too, from staff and readers. Here's the first example, updating you on our Rock Atlas.

Your friend and mine Peter Scholtes showed up to talk about his role in the decision-making process. If you're interested in who got in and why, that's a good place to go for a behind-the-scenes look. Pete also made some great contributions to the Five Songs About Martin Luther King thread, as I would expect. Come back for all the music threads, you newly engaged cat, you.

Meta-note: The "Five Songs About" threads are meant to be like this, interactive. I love picking songs, but the themes aren't meant to be exclusive, and it's not meant to imply that these are the best five songs about a given topic. They're starting points for discussion, and if you have a tune to share, please do so.

The comments are also hopping in the Ron Paul thread Matt Snyders posted. Highlights: Snyders gets called the agent of a smear campaign! I get called a fascist, and am accused of being on the payroll of the anti-Paul forces! Me and Snyders engage in point, counterpoint! We have several early candidates for "Comment of the Year (Non-Superheroes Division)". Hoffman pops in to issue a belated disclaimer.

Meta-note: We love the fact that the blogs are getting more comments. We love disagreements, too, even when pointed. Our words aren't the last words, and we love it when you chime in via Letters to the Editor or the blog comments.

Religious voter alert: Jeff Severns Guntzel reports that Bush's pastor is endorsing Barack Obama. Bush is said to not be taking it personally, although Dick Cheney is suddenly planning another Texas hunting trip.

Meta-Note: This kid looks really freaked out by Bush.

Rooting for a brokered convention? Time breaks down how it could happen.

BRAIN CANDY

Single? Bummin'? Have a laugh about it, and view some math that might make you feel better in this comic.

Does your boss like coffee? Do you like Boggle? Well, when he or she is out for coffee, you can play Boggle for free online 24/7.

My friends have this daughter who is adorable. Her two favorite things in the world are Hello Kitty and Star Wars. I have just sent the parents this link with a note affixed that says: "Never, ever show her this unless you are prepared for the eventual consequences."

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 22, 2008 5:08 AM | Comments (0)

 

Murder Mystery in Blue Earth

Filed under: Crime

The Fairmont Sentinel has published a riveting series about a Blue Earth cold case. It's the story of a Jane Doe, strangled and dumped in a ditch, her body found by a farmer after floating some distance in floodwaters. It was 1980. Eventually, after searching in vain for the woman's killer and her identity, Fairbault County paid $1,500 to have her buried in Blue Earth's Riverside Cemetery. Her tombstone read: “Unidentified Woman: Found May 30, 1980 near Interstate 90 east of Blue Earth.” The killer, a former state trooper and member of a religious cult, eventually confessed to the killing but could not help with the woman's identity. He said she was a hitchhiker. He's up for parole. Perhaps the most incredible part of this story is the woman recently moved to Blue Earth has made it her mission to find out who Jane Doe was.

Read the series, written by Sentinel Staff Writer Sarah Day, here...

Part One: Jane Doe’s body opens mystery

“It wasn’t totally unexpected,” says Faribault County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Kabe. “That highway (Interstate 90) had been open for four to five years. Everybody said before that four-lane was open — with the rest stops and stuff — you’ll probably have murders.”

Part Two: Former state trooper admitted killing Jane Doe

Nelson lived on a farm in rural Elmore when he served district 2200. He was loosely affiliated with the Lutheran church at that time and had three children with his second wife. Nelson was in a high-speed chase, wrecking his squad car and suffering some injuries the week of May 30, 1980. He took a few days off, when the nude body of a caucasian woman was found in a drainage ditch about six miles east of Blue Earth off Interstate 90.

Part Three: Jane Doe finds an advocate

Deborah Anderson moved to Blue Earth in 1991. Around 2003, a retired Blue Earth police officer told her an unidentified woman was buried in the cemetery. Anderson, 38, who works for the Minnesota State-Mankato in human resources, became intrigued. She went home and checked for any information she could find. What she found was nothing. “I thought, well that’s odd,” she said. “How long would I look for my child? Probably forever.”

Part Four: The search for an identity continues

Kabe has always had one name in mind for Jane Doe — Jacqueline Lerman. She disappeared from New York a few weeks before the Blue Earth Jane Doe was discovered. Lerman was in her early 30s, and had similar physical descriptions. Kabe took Lerman’s dental information to two area dentists, who both said she was a match. Kabe then sent it to the medical examiner, who told them Lerman was not a match. Lerman has been ruled out at least twice before with dental comparisons, but Kabe still believes Lerman is buried in Riverside Cemetery. “I would stake half my life on it,” he said. In November 2007, the U. S. Department of Justice released statistics from 1980 to 2004. It said 10,300 unidentified remains were reported to the National Death Index.

A tip of the hat to Ollie Ox at Bluestem Prairie, who posted word of this series and commented:

Amazing stuff. And we recall our own girlhood in Southern Minnesota, when we'd hear about young women's bodies dumped along remote stretches of roads or in fields. It used to scare the heck out of us, but there'd be murmurs about "bad girls" who got what they deserved, rather than outrage at the brutal criminals.

All that changed with victims' advocacy programs that began to blossom about the time that this poor woman was brutally raped and murdered. The first article notes that there was no public outcry at the time the body was found, though one of the retired cops interviewed notes that local women were probably terrified.

That is that darker side to the pastoral childhood we enjoyed, and as the article suggests, the part no one should wish for again in southern Minnesota, or anywhere.

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at January 21, 2008 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/21

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

In observance of King's birthday, we have a post chronicling Five Songs About Martin Luther King and, in Over the Weekend, a live report from the MLK event at Babalu. Besides the Tru Ruts crew's performance at Babalu, Over the Weekend also includes bits about Bon Iver and the African Cup of Nations soccer tourney.

Two new photo slideshows from the past three days: one from the Best New Bands event at First Avenue and another with shots of the Twin Cities Music Expo, featuring Def Leppard cover band
Def Repplica.

Ben Polk's latest about Gopher hoops covers the close loss to Indiana.

Sarah Askari has a live report from the Parlor Suite's CD release show.

The latest episode of cPod contains an interview with Ward Rubrecht, author of "Superheroes in Real Life," with tidbits not mentioned in the article.

Two Republican legislators from our fair state remain among Congress' most vulnerable, reports Paul Demko.

Ron Paul plans a big fundraising push today to coincide with the Martin Luther King holiday. Bravo for life's little ironies. Paul is still outpolling Rudy Giuliani.

BRAIN CANDY

Think Martin Luther King's line about judging people according to the content of their character was an argument against affirmative action? Think again.

The lone juvenile charged as a result of last year's local Critical Mass event is no longer facing criminal sanction. That leaves four members of the pro-bike organization still on the hook.

If you're reading this in the morning, you're probably reading this with almost exactly one year to go in the Bush presidency.

Finally, apropos of nothing, take a look at the world's only blue-eyed koala.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 21, 2008 7:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

cPod, Episode 13

Filed under: cPod

Superheroes! People who jump into frozen lakes! Snarky banter! What other secrets could this episode of cPod hold? Come inside and see for yourself!

Download the .mp3

Posted by Ward Rubrecht at January 18, 2008 5:20 PM | Comments (0)

 

Coleman, Ramstad posts remain in jeopardy for GOP

Filed under: Minnesota Politics

Taking a break from presidential politics, Chris Cillizza has updated his analysis of the House and Senate seats most likely to switch parties in the 2008 elections. A pair of Minnesota posts remain on the most-endangered lists. Sen. Norm Coleman clocks in at sixth on the Senate side, while retiring Rep. Jim Ramstad's seat takes the eighth slot.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 18, 2008 1:13 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions: 1/18

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

'Twas Mike Huckabee Thursday at Elephants in the Room. I said Huck You to the former Arkansas governor over his comments equating homosexuality with bestiality. Paul Demko linked to interesting WSJ piece on Huckabee, excerpting a bit that highlights the inexperience of his Michigan campaign staff. But isn't that just like the Bush Administration sending ill-prepared Heritage Foundation interns to rebuild Iraq? And didn't that turn out well?

From Republican politicians nationally to our own local Democratic Senate race: Jonathan Kaminsky posts the latest video advertisements from the Ciresi and Franken campaigns. Franken's have 67 percent more St. Louis Park! Ciresi's have 42 percent less hair! Kaminsky's post has 56 percent more snark! Mmmm, delicious snark.

Ben Palosaari likes pie. Do you like pie? The Rock likes pie, if it is as fresh as that reference is stale.

I totally want to adopt Bam Bam the Monkey. I am serious. Do you think he'd get along with my dogs? More importantly, does he fling his own poo -- and can he do so on command, with accuracy?

Posted by Jeff Shaw at January 18, 2008 7:36 AM | Comments (1)

 

St. Paul welcomes Bam Bam the monkey

Filed under: St. Paul

St. Paul's animal control office took custody of Bam Bam from a resident earlier this month. The monkey stands accused of biting a human being. Bill Stephenson, head of the city's animal control office, says he can't comment on the primate's fate because it's a pending investigation. Surely Bam Bam can be put to some use in preparing for next summer's Republican convention.

More photos after the jump:

Posted by Paul Demko at January 17, 2008 2:14 PM | Comments (3)

 

New Ads!

Filed under: Politics

Senate hopefuls "Big Al" Franken and Mike "Super Lawyer of the Year" Ciresi both have a pair of new TV ads. Here they be:

Synopsis: