April 20, 2008 - April 26, 2008

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Breakfast of Champions 4/25: Weekly drinking

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

Today's Friday, and though it's early in the morning, I can already tell that I'm gonna need a drink later on. Thus, we launch a new "Drink of the Week" feature on the food blog. Every Friday we'll alert you to a new off-beat drink, a beverage deal that can't be beat, or whatever strikes our libation fancy.

I'm glad Paul Demko posted this promo of the White Iron Band's show, and not just because of the free MP3 of the band's new single. Mostly, it's because Demko's feature on the band from 5 years back is a great rock n' roll travelogue that I was planning on posting myself if he didn't.

Among modern philosophers, there's the late and lamented John Rawls, there's Jurgen Habermas, and ... there's Dude Weather. The latest encapsulates my sentiments perfectly.

Dan Israel is given a rave review by a respected music magazine.

Judd Spicer looks at Twins ticket sales.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at April 25, 2008 7:12 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions 4/24: Housed

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

I do a lot of housing market posts. Some have called me an alarmist because I think this economy has yet to hit bottom.

If I'm the pessimist, though, Credit Suisse is the doom-and-gloom prophet. Not only does the company thing that it'll take another two years for the market to rebound, they think that before it's over, roughly 13 percent of borrowers will face foreclosure.

Think about that. One out of every eight. Depending on how big the blocks are where you live, that's about a home per block.

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Blowjobs? Fun. Lawsuits? Not fun. Potential lawsuits about blowjobs? ... makes brain hurt.

There's discussion in the comments about whether a smoking ban in bars increases the rate of drunk driving. An American Lung Association guy takes us on.

The thing is, he's absolutely right that that study is horseshit. Aside from pretty specious methodology, it doesn't point out that the public health benefits of the smoking ban certainly outweigh the consequences, even if their findings are the gospel truth. But he's absolutely wrong to suggest that editorial policy is influenced by advertising.

Checked out the Best Of the Twin Cities interactive map yet? No? What are you waiting for?

How often do you get a chance to read an interview with a dude named Dead Eye?

Paul Demko's Minnesota Thunder season preview offers all you wanted to know and more about the local soccer franchise.

It's raining now, and it might snow Friday, but Rachel Hutton anticipates better weather ahead and offers must-have foods and beverages for spring. James Norton's lunch at TropicWorld may give Lake Street locals other ideas.

Cool band flyer.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at April 24, 2008 7:09 AM | Comments (2)

 

U of Wisconsin study: Smoking ban = More DUI Deaths

Filed under: Drugs

A report on a connection between smoking bans and an increase in DUI deaths should give pause to Minnesotans.

The paper, "Drunk driving after the passage of smoking bans in bars," was written by Scott Adams and Chad Cotti of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and published in the Journal of Public Economics. The authors estimate that smoking bands increase the number of DUI deaths by about 13 percent. Summary (emphasis added):

Using geographic variation in local and state smoke-free bar laws in the US, we observe an increase in fatal accidents involving alcohol following bans on smoking in bars that is not observed in places without bans. Although an increased accident risk might seem surprising at first, two strands of literature on consumer behavior suggest potential explanations — smokers driving longer distances to a bordering jurisdiction that allows smoking in bars and smokers driving longer distances within their jurisdiction to bars that still allow smoking, perhaps through non-compliance or outdoor seating. We find evidence consistent with both explanations. The increased miles driven by drivers wishing to smoke and drink offsets any reduction in driving from smokers choosing to stay home following a ban, resulting in increased alcohol-related accidents. This result proves durable, as we subject it to an extensive battery of robustness checks.

Deaths from DUI in Minnesota reached their lowest level in 2006, with 175 people dying at the hands of of drunk drivers (see a chart of alcohol-related traffic fatalities going back to 1982 here). So if the research holds true, we could expect an additional 22 or 23 people to die as an unintended consequence of the smoking ban that went into effect October 1. Then again, some lives will undoubtedly be saved that would otherwise have been lost to diseases caused by secondhand smoke.

UPDATE: This is particularly troubling considering this report released today that found that the North has the worst rates of DUI already. Wisconsin has the highest incidence, and Minnesota checks in at No. 3.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 23, 2008 12:00 PM | Comments (13)

 

Strib Shocker: Sex column spiked over blowjob description

Filed under: Media

What's the point of being a sex columnist if you can't even report proper fellatio techniques?

Sexpert Alexis McKinnis, author of “Alexis on the Sexes," seemed to be making that point exactly in her personal blog when she complained to her readers that her most recent column was "canned and replaced" by editors at Vita.mn due to her "apparent over-descriptiveness on how to give proper head to the man in your life."

I'm bitter, very bitter, about it right now, but my editor has my back on this one (as usual) and hopefully the informative column will see the light of day soon.

It's especially puzzling because the piece wasn't any more descriptive than my cunnilingus or anal sex tutorials. I've actually written about giving girl head more than once, but I guess someone had a problem with penises. I rather like them myself.

When the decision was made to yank the problematic penis column, that left a big gaping hole that needed to be filled. So the faux alt cobbled together online reader feedback from a recent column on "the Shocker." According to Wikipedia, the Shocker involves "inserting the index and middle fingers into the vagina and the little finger into the unwitting anus, hence the 'shock'…" Or, as one Vita.mn reader so delicately put it: "two in the pink, one in the stink."

Good thing we didn't have to read that offensive column about blowjobs!

Lucky for us, the nannies at the daily are hard at work removing the offensive language in the original column, which is set to debut Thursday. Vita.mn editor Simon Groebner tells us in an email that Alexis's column "was not killed or censored," but rather "it was held for revision." When pushed for further information about these so-called revisions, Groebner went frigid, writing:

I'm not gonna discuss my edit process. This is a non-issue. You can read it on Thursday at www.vita.mn; let me know what you think.

Next we reached Alexis herself, who had touched off the whole issue by blabbing on her blog. Apparently the ensuing days had quelled her outrage, because she sent us an email implying that somehow we were the ones in the tizzy. She asserted that it was all a tempest in a teacup, which was in stark contrast to the much more bombastic language she had used in the comments section of her own blog:

Well, by definition it was canned, censored and edited. And the quality was perfectly fine, unlike the replacement that ran, for which I am still receiving emails and text messages from friends to the effect of "what is this craptastic thing?" If they're saying what's on their mind, I shudder to imagine what the rest of my readers were thinking.

Posted by: Alexis | April 19, 2008 at 08:56 PM

We wish we could share with you her exact words from the email, but we can't, because Alexis threatened to sue us if we did.

It's ironic that a columnist from the Star Tribune--a newspaper that depends on freedom of speech and frequently advocates for more openness from public officials--would threaten legal action against us for reporting the news. It's a stark departure from Editor Nancy Barnes recent column, "How we respond to reader concerns," in which she promised that the local daily would be more open about how its decisions are made:

To help communicate what we are doing and why, top editors will share this column with me most weeks. We will also be available in a blog online, to post comments and hear your thoughts. You can find us at www.startribune.com/blogs/editors.

Some readers have told me that they no longer know where to call with corrections and concerns. We have staff members available to take your calls at 612-673-4414. If they cannot handle your concerns, they will find someone who will. In addition to these efforts, I have asked all top editors to be responsible for responding to reader concerns regarding their sections and any changes they are making. You'll find those names and numbers here.

We called the numbers and got the runaround. You'd have more luck trying to shake information out of MnDOT.

But what do you expect from a faux alt? It wants to be edgy, as long as it doesn't offend anybody. It wants to have a sex column, as long as it isn't too sexy. And it opposes censorship, unless it's doing the censoring, in which case it will threaten to sue you.

We haven't seen this much hypocrisy over a blowjob since the Republicans went after Bill Clinton!

We eagerly anticipate the expurgated column Thursday, but in the meantime, those who want to read a real sex columnist should check out Dan Savage.

Posted by Beth Walton at April 23, 2008 8:30 AM | Comments (14)

 

Breakfast of Champions 4/23: Please stand by

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

As you may notice, our annual Best Of issue isn't up yet. We're having some server problems that are delaying the upload -- a Rev. Horton Heat slideshow I made Monday morning is just now appearing -- and it's affecting the issue as well.

This is a purely technical difficulty. The issue content's ready to go, and I'm assured it'll be online by this morning.

You can choose to believe me. Or you can choose to believe one of these alternate explanations, which make me want to laugh instead of punch a kitten in the face.

THE TOP 10 REASONS OUR "BEST OF THE TWIN CITIES" CONTENT IS NOT ONLINE RIGHT NOW

10. A Salvia-bedazzled Matt Snyders tripped over the server, unplugging it; proceeded to dismantle the server so it could become "one with its Buddha nature"

9. The Internet has become bourgeois and outmoded. We choose to go old-school, using only wax and rollers to paste up the issue. Somehow this means it is not accessible from the World Wide Web

8. Turns out Hoffman is Amish

7. Pawlenty budget cuts affecting even the mighty Village Voice Media

6. Douglas Feith seemed down on his luck, in need of work; we asked him to install a web server. Turns out he's not any better at that

5. Demko on his way out decided to take up a new hobby -- walking into random offices, pulling wires at random. Hey, a red one!

4. Our tech people ate something that didn't agree with them, and now the tubes are clogged

3. It was a sophisticated denial-of-service attack from Ron Paul supporters

2. Tom Bartel forgot to pay our credit card bill

1. It's actually online RIGHT NOW, but only the pure of heart can see it.

I can see it. What the hell is wrong with you people?

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Elvis Costello's new album release this week provides Jeff Severns Guntzel an excuse to Unearth some 1981 Elvis material from these pages.

Andrea Myers breaks down national coverage received by local bands with new releases, including Tapes 'n Tapes, Cloud Cult, Atmosophere and more.

This Ron Paul CGI animation thread has rapidly become my second-favorite comment thread in my limited tenure at Citypages.com. It is funny on so many levels. I sincerely thank every person for being a part of it.

My favorite comment thread -- of the day at least -- is the pothole haiku thread. Although there's some consternation in the latest Tim Pawlenty VP-o-Meter post's comments as well.

Gary Hodges discusses the latest release from indie game manufacturer Atlus.

Judd Spicer asks: should the Twins' top farm team be closer to the cities?

Posted by Jeff Shaw at April 23, 2008 6:11 AM | Comments (0)

 

VP Pawlenty Meter: Using addition by subtraction, T-Paw comes out on top

Filed under: VP Pawlenty Watch

Will Governor Tim Pawlenty become our nation's next vice president? It's hard to keep track of all the many factors at play. Each week, the VP Pawlenty Meter (TM) provides an odds sheet to ensure you make your best bet.

In our last installment, we took note of claims that John McCain had settled on T-Paw as his VP more than a year ago. A report on the website of conservative mouthpiece Fox News over the weekend only adds fuel to that claim.

For one thing, McCain's advisers announced that he had doubled the number of competitive swing states. That makes a moderate Republican like Pawlenty all the more attractive, and indicates Minnesota could potentially be a battleground:

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, a former governor of Pennsylvania, is high on his list of VP bets. So is Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Both states went Democratic in the 2004 presidential election, but not by much.

In fact, political oddsmaker Ron Faucheux puts Pawlenty's odds at 5 to 1, giving the same favorable chances to Condoleezza Rice, Mitt Romney, and Tom Ridge. But pollster Scott Rasmussen dismisses several of those potential rivals:

“The three names that McCain should absolutely not pick are (Mike) Huckabee, Romney and Condoleezza Rice,” he said.

Rasmussen has even set up a fake stock market that allows political junkies to bet on who they think will get the nod. So far, T-Paw is barely trailing Romney, who as previously mentioned, may not be a candidate McCain could live with:

From Rasmussen Markets (value reflects percentage chance)

Romney: 16.9%

Pawlenty: 16%

Rice: 7.9%

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison: 5.9%

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: 5%

Huckabee: 5%

T-Paw attracts similar betting action on Intrade Prediction Markets (value reflects percentage chance):

Romney: 16.3%

Pawlenty: 15.6%

Rice: 8%

Huckabee: 7%

Hutchison: 5.9%

Tom Ridge appears on neither of those lists, meaning he may be a nag. Which leaves Pawlenty as the last candidate standing.

Meanwhile, McCain indicated Monday that he's going to pull the trigger sooner rather than later:

“Let me just say that I hope that we could arrive at that decision earlier rather than later, but it is a long process to go through.”

This again works in Pawlenty's favor, since he's a known, vetted commodity whose been on the shortlist for over a year.

In light of this, we're taking the unprecedented step of raising the VP Pawlenty Meter to Orange Alert:

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 22, 2008 1:37 PM | Comments (7)

 

Pothole of the day: Haiku version

Filed under: potholes

Perspective is everything. A little seasonal shift alters moods, sways perceptions, gently nudges the very reality around us.

This includes our friend the pothole. Because two images of a particular road crater just hours apart afford the viewer entirely divergent experiences -- and because there ought to be more poems about potholes -- I am moved to create verse.

In the first image, spring precipitation collects in this masterpiece of decay from 44th and Wentworth. The resultant reflection fuses nature (the water, the overlooking pine) with that most urban of creations, broken asphalt.

To capture the totality of its existential pothole-ness, we turn to the haiku form. The ancient Asian art celebrates human interactions with nature: mountain hikes, drinking fermented grapes, and now, looking at potholes.

The crack collects rain,
sheltering a tree's image.
In leaps Basho's frog.

I'm all deep and shit. No, wait, it's the pothole that's deep.

With a bit of afternoon heat, Kingfield's tiny lake evaporated. Absent the April showers that promise May flowers, the hole was a bit more stark.

From limpid pool to barren gash in 120 minutes or so. The latter image is less about human-environment interaction and more about a gaping trench in my neighborhood. Hence, the haiku looks more like this:

Hey, it's spring -- bump! Hiss!
Oh, son-of-a-goddamn bitch,
time to change that tire.

If the spirit moves you, leave your own haiku efforts in the comments.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at April 22, 2008 8:54 AM | Comments (4)

 

Breakfast of Champions 4/22: Simply the Best

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

Tons of effort by scads of people comes to fruition in the next 36 as our annual Best Of issue comes online and then makes its way in perfect-bound format throughout the cities. Don't miss it -- how could you -- and know that a few Web-only surprises will be popping up during the day.

Apropos of nothing: I may be the only person who saw this comic by Dan Piraro and thought: "wait, Rorschach never knew his father. I don't get it." But I will admit that this was my first reaction.

My second reaction: what's up with the stick of dynamite behind Mr. Rorschach the elder?

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Temple Restaurant is no more. Nevertheless, we'll always have memories of the naked sushi event and James Tran's photographs of same.

James Norton, using a new WaPo piece as a foil, poses an interesting question: where is your "third place," that place besides home and work that you feel most comfortable, even out in public?

Tom Sorel is your new transportation chief, and early reaction is encouraging.

Minneapolis schools pass new restrictions on military recruiters. Jeff Severns Guntzel speaks with the policy's architect.

Always wonder what that window in Power Girl's costume was for? It's apparently related to the new Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe game.

Just when you thought it couldn't get creepier than Ron Paul, we get a Ron Paul simalcrum. Which is actually preferable to the real thing.

Demko is writing about soccer again, the UEFA Champions League's final four. Steven Gerrard's been injured, but I still think this is an opportune time to link to this amazing video of Gerrard's top 10 goals from two years ago. Even if you aren't a football fan, this is pretty amazing.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at April 22, 2008 7:39 AM | Comments (3)

 

Military recruiters and Minneapolis schools

Filed under: Education

In 2006, in the midst of his successful run for a seat on the Minneapolis Board of Education, a concerned delegate pointed Chris Stewart to a little known provision in the No Child Left Behind Act that makes some federal funding to school districts contingent on access to military recruiters.

"I didn't know then what a reasonable response would be," Stewart says. "But I just knew there had to be something that addressed or challenged it in one way or another."

In recent weeks letters have been landing in the mailboxes of every principal in the Minneapolis School District notifying them of new restrictions on military recruiters--the result of a Stewart drafted resolution that passed unanimously in March.

The resolution restricts recruiters to career centers and requires them to give two weeks notice before making a visit. Seattle, Berkeley and Santa Cruz have passed their own resolutions. Some of those sought to ban the military altogether. Stewart says the Minneapolis restrictions are the "Minnesota nice version."

"It doesn't seek to ban or overly chastise the military," Stewart notes. After some complaints about recruiters cornering kids in hallways and cafeterias, Stewart says the resolution seeks to make sure they act within a "protected space."

"I don't want my kid being evangelized about militarism just because he walks through the hall or into a lunchroom--especially when we are teaching him something vastly different at home. If you are a person who is proud of your family's military service, it is perfectly acceptable for you to find the recruiters in the career center."

Craig Vana, an Associate Superintendent for Minneapolis schools says when he served as a Minneapolis principle, he would give access to "maybe 100 recruiters a year" with between 30 and 40 at a time at career fairs."

Vana says he can recall "very few recruiters behaving inappropriately or crossing lines" but acknowledges the importance of controlling access and "making it very clear what steps to follow to make the appropriate arrangements.

Students of the Minneapolis district, are you out there? What experiences have you had with recruiters?

Military families with kids in the Minneapolis schools: your thoughts?

Here is the full text of the resolution:

RESOLUTION ON RECRUITER ACCESS TO STUDENTS

WHEREAS, the U.S. Military expends approximately $1.4 billion annually (FY 2006) in recruiting efforts; and

WHEREAS, the military has access to student directory information unless the student’s parent has chosen to opt out as mandated by Section 9528 of the “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB) which access is provided by the District under threat of loss of federal funding for schools; and

WHEREAS, to continue its core mission of providing a free and effective education for local youth, Minneapolis Special District No. 1 cannot sustain itself without adequate federal funds; and

WHEREAS, questions about the extent of access by military recruiters to students during the school day on school premises can be addressed through the standards in the District’s visitors policy; and

WHEREAS, the Minneapolis School Board is charged with giving guidance as to policy implementation; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of Minneapolis Public School students to receive information about all post-secondary options available to them; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of Minneapolis Public Schools students to be exposed to a variety of viewpoints on controversial issues which may affect their education or welfare; and

WHEREAS, community based organizations may be valuable sources for information on military service;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: That the Minneapolis Special District No. 1 Board of Education directs the Superintendent and staff to allow access to high school students by organizations which provide information about all aspects of military service if approved as a community partner organization through the District approval process.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that military and other recruiters may interact with students only in school approved locations such as high school College & Career Centers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, to establish a standard procedure for campus access, all recruiters requesting campus access shall submit a request in writing on official letterhead at least 2 weeks in advance and that notice of their presence will be available to students and the public at least 1 week in advance on either a school web site or designated location for such announcements in the school.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: When high schools permit military recruiters to speak with students regarding military career opportunities, the school must provide equal access for organizations that wish to counsel alternatives to, or provide additional information about, military service. If literature encouraging military service is displayed for students to read or pick up, groups counseling alternatives to military service may similarly display their literature.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That to assure privacy protection for students, entities receiving private student directory information will sign a statement identifying the specific use of the information and certifying that use of the information conforms with all city, state and federal laws regarding privacy and is non-discriminatory.

[Signed]
Lydia Lee
February 26th, 2008
Board of Education Chairperson

[Signed]
Sharon Henry-Blythe
February 26th, 2008
Board of Education Clerk

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at April 21, 2008 3:34 PM | Comments (0)

 

Tom Sorel new transportation chief

Filed under: Politics

Tim Pawlenty today appointed Tom Sorel to head the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Sorel leaves his post as administrator of the Minnesota division of the Federal Highway Administration.

Pawlenty chose Sorel over Bob McFarlin, the acting commissioner, who'd been in the job since the state senate fired Lt. Governor Carol Molnau from the post in February. The appointment requires senate approval, but the vote doesn't have to be held until next year's legislative session.

Early returns from the state senate are encouraging. Sen. Steve Murphy, chair of the state senate's transportation committee, didn't immediately return a call. In a statement, he had this to say:

“I look forward to working with Mr. Sorel in his new capacity as Transportation Commissioner. He has a long and distinguished career in transportation, with a civil engineering background and 30 years of experience within the Federal Highway Administration. I’m optimistic that his technical expertise and leadership ability will continue to move MnDOT in a new, positive direction.”

Sen. Jim Carlson, the DFL vice chair of the transportation committee, said he was happy to see Sorel's training as an engineer. Looking over Sorel's resume, Carlson remarked that he's "more of a can-do leader. He's getting things done. That's what we need. We don’t need someone to throw an anchor out."

Carlson also had kind words for the outgoing McFarlin, who he said "changed the complexion" of the senate's dealings with the department.

If nothing else, the change may make the folks at the Star Tribune happy. McFarlin was a strong critic of the paper's hard-hitting coverage of MnDOT last year, accusing the paper of seeking to "perpetuate the myth" that MnDOT engaged in a pattern of hiding information from the public.

UPDATE:
Senator Murphy tells CP that "As long as your attitude is we're going to fix our roads and bridges, we can work with that." Unable to resist a dig at Molnau, he adds that she "did not have that attitude."

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at April 21, 2008 11:48 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions 4/21: Bales of Cocaine

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

Spring is here. I know, because I saw a couple making out in the park for about an hour yesterday evening. Blanket-free. Indeed, free of many articles of clothing. I surreptitiously snapped this bit of evidence: yep, those are sweatpants bottoms.

At least the lack of a blanket isn't necessarily going to mean grass stains. Ah, young love.

Speaking of clothing and love, Ra'mon Lawrence Coleman's Eluded Love show went off Saturday, and we have a slideshow full of images. For great justice, here's a one-minute video of the show's finale. A model leaves wearing less than she entered with (and no, it's not what you think, at least I hope not):

Much more from a busy weekend after the jump.

DAILY DISH: WHAT'S NEW AROUND THE SITE

Andrea Myers makes her debut on Over the Weekend, wrapping the past 72 hours in music. This includes capsule reviews of several concerts, including the Reverend Horton Heat show last night at First Avenue, where he played the song that gives this post its name.

Also don't miss our review of Kraftwerk's first MSP tour in decades and recap of the Plastic Constellations' last show. Coming later: images and text from the latest Current Fakebook series, featuring Chuck D and Slug.

The Chefs for Change fundraiser sounds like a good time for a good cause.

The Wild and the Timberwolves are forced to utter that mantra of the also-ran: just wait 'til next year.

Paul Demko has the latest on Lee Edwards, the Minneapolis cop who is under federal investigation.

Can House of the Dead be fun? Our Game On columnists go point, counterpoint.

Play Gran Turismo? Maybe you'll agree with Nate Patrin about these 5 cars that ought to be in the game.

From Friday afternoon, images of college students using molten metal to make art.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at April 21, 2008 8:25 AM | Comments (2)

 

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