June 2008

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The Alf Defense: Don't open the e-mail, and it never happened

Filed under: Environment

The Supreme Court gave the EPA an important, but fairly easy, job in 2007. The high court issued a ruling that required the federal agency to formally state whether greenhouse gases were pollutants representing a danger to health or the environment.

EPA complied, shipping its findings to the White House via electronic mail. It was then, according to the New York Times, that the Bush administration chose peculiar course of action: If we don't open the e-mail, White House officials reasoned, then the response never really happened, and we won't be bound to act on its findings. So they simply let the correspondence languish, forever highlighted, in the "New Mail" category.

That's right. In defiance of a Supreme Court ruling, the Bushies ran out the clock on their administration so they wouldn't have to do anything about fuel efficiency, pollution, and climate change. This is a strategy I refer to as "The Alf Defense."

Do you remember when TV's Alf guest-hosted the Tonight Show? (This really happened, as cultural archive supreme YouTube can attest; the audio is in Spanish for additional surrealism.)

When an interview would go in a direction that the 1980s' favorite puppet disdained, he would plug his substantial ears and sing. He would sing the following lines, to the tune of "Alouette": "I'm not listening, I can't even hear you; I'm the guest host, you are just a guest ..."

While effective, the Alf defense was previously thought available only to imaginary alien beings and surly three-year-olds. Apparently it's now become high fashion among those who fiddle as climate change burns the planet.

Actually, forget the greenhouse effect entirely for a second.

Even if you think climate change is a total scam (which, to be clear, disqualifies you from membership in the reality-based community, but for the sake of argument), think about the other aspects of this -- like better fuel efficiency for cars. Saves bucketloads of money. Conserves resources. That's undeniably in the public interest. Or preventing particulate pollution, which again, even if you don't buy that global warming is real, kills tens of thousands prematurely every year.

If the people currently in charge of this country could make real, substantive arguments about why action on these fronts was unnecessary, they would. It's easier to invoke the Alf Defense, though, especially if you think you can get away with it.

Due to outrage fatigue, that might just happen. In any other administration, stories like this would be enormous scandals. In the late-stage Bush era, they're just par for the course.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 30, 2008 7:04 PM | Comments (3)

 

St. Paul City Council threatens to block IRV vote

Filed under: St. Paul

As we reported this spring, Minneapolis is moving, if a bit fitfully, toward instant runoff voting in municipal races.

It's shaping up differently in St. Paul. Organizers there have gotten enough signatures to put IRV on the ballot in November, but the City Council, buoyed by City Attorney John Choi's warning that IRV doesn't jibe with the state constitution, is considering the drastic step of keeping it off the ballot altogether.

Today's Star Tribune has an editorial calling for the City Council to let the voters decide.

"City councils are not courts," the Strib opines. "It isn't the role of a council to settle disputes over constitutionality."

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at June 30, 2008 10:44 AM | Comments (5)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/30: She's called the strawberry

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

It was Pride Festival weekend, and we have two slideshows with 41 images from the bevy of events. Don't miss the parade images especially.

From one of those happenings: "If my 13–year–old self had known that I would be attending an En Vogue concert 16 years later, my tween self would have been impressed," writes Jessica Armbruster. If you had told my tween self that, more than a decade-and-a-half on, we'd be running a slideshow and review of the group, I would have asked you how President Springsteen could allow such a thing.

Outside of the city, people motivated by a different force took advantage of the time of year. Lines were long and deep to get into strawberry fields. Unlike last year's disappointing crops, this season's returns have been unexpectedly high -- but the sweet treats are going fast.

Strawberry fields forever for about another week: Dozens packed the fields at Bauer Berry Farm in Champlin.

Buffeted by a host of hungry hands, the once-thick fields are losing their red fast. On Sunday the pickings were fairly slim (finally, an opportune time to use that phrase), and farmers say we have maybe one more week of berries in the field before it's blueberry season.

The photos from the Josephine Baker play make me deeply regret having missed the show's final performance on Saturday night.

Mitt Romney criticizes Barack Obama for working only on such liberal issues as nuclear non-proliferation and the price of gas. I am not making this up.

Win the Bloomington ChopHouse's recipe contest, and they'll put your dish on the menu. Or you could drink so much Thunderbird wine that you'll think it's on the menu. Remember: if you run out of ale ...

Ben Palosaari's roundup of evil holiday characters could only be enhanced by Xanta Klaus, the dark Santa from what I fondly refer to as the WWF/E's "moronic period." The character was played by ECW's Balls Mahoney, and featured Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase embarrassing himself only slightly less than he is now as a religious motivational speaker.

A new viral YouTube video has a local connection.

Maybe you entered the Joystick Division "identify the characters in this banner" contest. If so, you might have won some free schwag. If not, watch us roll out the answers a batch at a time.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 30, 2008 7:22 AM | Comments (0)

 

Strib goes green with biodegradable bags

Filed under: Media

On Monday, the Star Tribune will become the first major newspaper in the country to use biodegradable plastic bags, according to Editor & Publisher.

In February, Dallas-based GP Plastics announced that it was giving all of its newspaper customers the option of switching to PolyGreen "oxo-biodegradable, environmentally friendly plastic bags." The bags, which feature water-soluble inks and non-lead-based color concentrates, are expected to degrade in 2-3 years in a landfill. Bags "floating" as litter in the environment are expected to degrade within a few months. Because the bags are conventional plastics, they can also be recycled.

"[T]he folks at the Star-Tribune embraced the concept of oxo-biodegradation from the start," GP's CFO Mike Skinner said in a statement. "Over the next several months, many of our customers nationwide will convert to PolyGreen bags; however, this day belongs to the Star-Tribune, as it's not often you have the chance to lead the way."

We applaud the Strib for being a leader in helping the newspaper industry go green. Now if only it could do something about the tons and tons of wood pulp (trucked in on carbon dioxide-spewing trucks) that it uses on a daily basis.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at June 28, 2008 12:15 PM | Comments (0)

 

Santa gets a tan: the North Pole is melting

Filed under: Environment

Rudolph's nose is about to get a lot redder: scientists say that the North Pole could briefly lose all its ice this summer. According to senior researcher Mark Serreze from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, via CNN:

It's a 50-50 bet that the thin Arctic sea ice, which was frozen last autumn, will completely melt away at the geographic North Pole, Serreze said.

The ice retreated to a record level in September when the Northwest Passage -- the sea route through the Arctic Ocean -- opened up briefly for the first time in recorded history.

"What we've seen through the past few decades is the Arctic sea ice cover is becoming thinner and thinner as the system warms up," Serreze said.

What does this mean? Is it global warming? Quick! Someone ask a weatherman!

No, not that weatherman, this weatherman.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 27, 2008 11:30 AM | Comments (1)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/27: Pestilence

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

Since I rarely get sick, it's easy to forget how miserable the condition can be. I've got as much energy as a sloth on a Nyquil binge, and yesterday I was so out of it I linked to a Flash animation of David Hasselhoff in a speedo.

What a time to get the pestilence, too, with summer in full swing and the month in photos showing me what I'm missing.

Plenty of newsworthy phenomena to keep the mind occupied. According to Monocle Magazine, Minneapolis is one of the 20 most livable cities in the world. Praise from something called "Monocle" (it's a British magazine, of course) conjures up images of being praised by the guy from Monopoly, or possibly Mr. Peanut.

What does a good governor do to a naughty like constituency? First, he lifts up her skirt. Then he spanks her. Then ... harder ... harder ... harder! At least that's how it was in the 1930s.

I was there for Beth Walton's Wondrous Punch Experience. No, that's not why I'm sick. No, it wasn't me in the bike helmet. Yes, that's why they call it the "Wondrous Punch in the Head."

Minneapolis native Matthew Santos, part of Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour, took some time to speak with Andrea Myers.

This weekend is the Great American Campout, a time to get out from in front of your computer screen and enjoy scenic byways. Needless to say, I hope you do not do this. The Internet would miss you, you see.

Did anyone else read this and think of the game Oregon Trail? Not that I want to be making jokes about dying of dysentery in my present condition.

Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age is sick, too, and used his illness as an excuse to go off an a homophobic rant at some 12-year-old. First Immortal Technique, now Queens of the Stone Age. Add another to the list of artists to boycott.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 27, 2008 8:09 AM | Comments (3)

 

Minneapolis is one of the world's most livable cities. Or so say the Brits.

Filed under: Quality of Life

Minneapolis, part of what London's Monocle magazine calls "a rustbelt revival," ranks as the 19th most livable city in the world.

That's according to The Monocle Global Quality of Life Survey, which has a trailer (yes, apparently in the UK, print features have video trailers. In it, over a frenetic soundtrack, the narrator explains:

For the past twelve months the editors of Monocle have been tracking the performance of urban centers around the world, measuring them on the merits of livability. From communication links to crime, from hours of sunshine to liquor licensing hours, we've been reshuffling our deck to see who comes out on top.

One other American city made the list: Honolulu (12th place). At the top of the list: Copenhagen, Munich, and Tokyo. Being a resident of the 19th most livable city in the world, however, won't get you access to Monocle's article. Subscribers only, deadbeat.

A City of Minneapolis press release had this to say:

In giving Minneapolis a top-20 ranking, the magazine notes the city’s thriving arts and cultural institutions, festivals, and rising culinary reputation. Monocle also gives Minneapolis high marks for environmentalism, with more than 80 green rooftops and 90 percent of households that recycle. Minneapolis is also one of the sunniest cities on its list. Of the top twenty cities, only four average more hours of sunshine each year.

It also recognizes Minneapolis residents’ high participation in block clubs and other neighborhood groups, and notes that Minneapolis is more diverse than most outsiders believe. Monocle also highlights the city’s nearly complete wireless broadband network, which will help the City provide better services and create unique opportunities for businesses, residents, and visitors.

In a recent Financial Times op-ed, Monocle's editor-in-chief says of the rankings and how they were determined:

There’s nothing quite like a global city ranking that mixes the scientific (hard data on crime, education and healthcare) with the more subjective (quality of housing, urban scale and the availability of a good cocktail in the wee hours) to make people consider uprooting. In Monocle’s 2007 top 20 cities survey, a healthy combination of an exceptional airport, good urban transport links, low crime, inviting neighbourhoods and a heart of Europe location made Munich number one city.

For 2008, the addition of a new set of metrics, including the ease of opening a small business and the number of cultural venues, went some distance towards reshuffling the deck.

And about those cities that didn't make the list, this:

Toronto doesn’t qualify because it has allowed its suburbs to become unconnected, ugly sprawls of hideous houses (garages bolted on to the front of houses are far better suited to southern California than to southern Ontario) and has done little of merit to deal with its derelict railway lands. New York continues to grind to a halt under the weight of automobile traffic, has no coherent scheme to get more people on to bicycles and still no sign of a high-speed, non-stop rail link to any of its airports.

Best I can tell, there is no mention of the punishing winter we just endured. No matter, there's always Honolulu.

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at June 27, 2008 8:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

Minnesota Governor lifts skirt, then spanks

Filed under: Unearthed

I read the local news from the 1930s so you don't have to.

In August 1934, Minnesota Governor Floyd Bjerstjerne Olson had been dealing with a bitter and violent feud between Twin Cities trucking companies and organized labor. There were strikes in Minneapolis. The police, in the pocket of the trucking bosses, were shooting at striking truckers and sympathetic protesters. The Governor had already tried martial law and now he was trying something new. Here, in all its eye-popping glory, is how Time Magazine covered the story on August 13, 1934:

Last week, Governor Floyd Bjerstjerne Olson of Minnesota, his patience exhausted, turned up Minneapolis' skirt and spanked her because she stubbornly refused to settle her three-week-old truck drivers' strike. His authority to spank grew out of his declaration of martial law for the city a fortnight ago. The spanking took the form of an order sweeping from her streets all trucks except those bearing milk, ice, bread, fuel, newspapers, cinema films and necessities of life. Wails and smiles greeted his order.

This is how Time played it: A skirt lifted, a bottom spanked, then wails and smiles. Incredible. My oh my, how the sensibilities of our nation's journalists have changed. Or not.

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at June 27, 2008 7:12 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/26: A Mobius strip

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

For all you quantum physics people out there, ponder this: Jonathan Kaminsky recaps this week's print Blotter. Now I'm recapping Kaminsky's blog post recapping print Blotter.

Soon, all of this will collapse on itself in a kind of Hasselhoffian recursion.

Megan Hustad distills career advice from tomes decades, even centuries old. An excerpt from Jessica Armbruster's interview with her:

CP: How does career advice from the 1800s hold up today? Has the workplace really changed so little?

MH: What I like about the early stuff, especially advice from the late 1800s, is that it was so blunt about what you could expect to encounter in an office. At the time, the idea of the office and the businessman was a new concept. I think nowadays we do young people a disservice when we tell them they can have any job they want if they apply themselves; to just "be yourself." Being yourself isn’t always the answer though. Your boss might not give a shit about what you read last weekend, about your sky trip, or your photography habits. When working in an office people need to understand that it’s hierarchical, and people need to be trained to do it properly.

Want to know where Little Man's Chris Perricelli gets all those clothes described in this week's music column? Find out in Andrea Myers's Reporter's Notebook.

Is it legal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk? Sort of. Bradley Campbell breaks down the relevant Minneapolis statute.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 26, 2008 8:08 AM | Comments (0)

 

Department of Justice blacklisted Minnesota liberal groups

Filed under: Politics

From Mindy's Tom Elko comes a shocking-but-not-surprising story about how the federal Department of Justice excluded people from high-level jobs if they belonged to conservation groups, pro-choice groups or progressive legal societies.

Elko writes that "influence came in the form of a 'screening committee' made up of political appointees who would 'deselect' candidates based on political affiliation, organization membership and ideology."

From 2003 to 2005 no deselections were made, but in 2006 Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez resurrected the screening committee.

During that time the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, Minnesota Justice Foundation, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy were added to the list of liberal groups in which membership would get a qualified candidate deselected.

From most any other presidential administration, this would be shocking.

Yet this is the administration that excluded qualified candidates from rebuilding Iraq in favor of ideologically "pure" Heritage Foundation interns who had never left the country; that had more than one top federal official openly musing about the best way to help "our" candidates.

This is why "a pox on both your houses" thinking is poisonous, and why political journalism has done us a disservice the past eight years.

The elite Washington media -- and for me no one exemplifies this more than Washington Post columnist David Broder -- have this mantra of bipartisanship as the cure-all for America's ills. This effectively ignores repeated thuggish misbehavior by one party, like preferring ideology over qualifications (FEMA's Michael Brown, anyone?).

It's like telling the sickly kid who always gets beaten up that he has try harder to get along with his bullying older brother.

As November approaches, if Barack Obama still looks likely to win, you'll see a wave of stories about how he must be president for the whole country, not just for liberal Democrats. You can count on this, just as you can count on one of them coming from Broder himself.

Remember that this line of argument effectively means "we would like Obama not to do precisely what we expect the Republicans to do."

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 26, 2008 7:37 AM | Comments (0)

 

Americans not wanted; Xenophobe sighting; MPR pink slip

Filed under: City Pages

Welcome to This Week in Blotter, in which we pithify news shorts ripped fresh from your favorite newsweekly: City Pages!

Let us back up a moment: You like the new website? Yeah, so do we. For one thing, it's purdy. For another, it's sleekish. Brass tacks, it's all the beige, twice the doohickeys.

A word to the wise, though: Make sure you're not missing out on our one-of-a-kind weekly content. Housed in a separate aluminum tube from our superlative everyday offerings, it's now just a scroll's length to the south on your citypages.com.

To drive home the point, here's a little offering from us to you: It's our genuine, Grade A, Weekly Blotter. It's available only in our print edition, in the weekly content aluminum tube on our internet homepage, and right here! In it, you'll hear about a pair who claim they couldn't get hired because they weren't Mexicans, a Mexican-despising, yappity city councilman, and an out-of-work radio truthteller. Get it while it's hot!

Here's your line of the week, from St. Francis City Councilman LeRoy Schaffer, who called the cops on some Spanish-speaking men working on a neighbor's house. (He knew they were illegal because they "didn't speak English."):

"They probably crossed the Rio Grande...and I don't blame them. I would swim as fast as I could, too."

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at June 25, 2008 10:16 AM | Comments (1)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/25: It's hidden

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

The issue is up, and Matt Snyders takes you to the most infamous party spot in the Twin Cities: Hidden Beach. For your viewing pleasure, we have a host of photos from the spot by Nick Vlcek.

A new slideshow from Rock the Garden brings new images of the crowd, the scene and the bands to light.

When we first started looking into this story of a Minnesota Supreme Court case about open adoption, we were primarily interested in the precedent it could set. Who knew former Twins reliever Juan Berenguer's cousin was involved?

If you like your beer interesting and obscure, you'll like the Four Firkins. If you want to see some of these beers -- including a $125 Sam Adams -- check out the slideshow.

If you're more of a foodie, Rachel Hutton offers three interesting suburban restaurants and ways to make a date out of them.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 25, 2008 8:49 AM | Comments (0)

 

Strib Guild Rally

Filed under: Media

At 3:30 p.m. Wednesday reporters at the Star Tribune will put down their phones, stop typing for just a little bit and head to the park across the street from their building on Portland Avenue to show their commitment to garnering a favorable contract. They want you to show up too.

According to the newspaper's union, The Strib Guild:

Contract negotiations have been going on for nearly two months, and our contract expires at the end of next month. Many issues remain in play, including all the important ones -- health care, wages and the economic tools we need to continue bringing people the news they need.

The group is asking the public to join them so that management will see that the union remains "strong, united, and supportive of our bargaining committee."

It's been a rough couple of years for the Strib. In May the newspaper announced that it would cut 10 percent of its newsroom budget by June, amounting to a reduction of some $2.5 million, part of a management plan to cut $20 million overall.

MinnPost reports that if the $2.5 can't be eliminated from the budget, more layoffs are likely the next viable option.

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

Posted by Beth Walton at June 24, 2008 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/24: If it was good enough for Nietzsche ...

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

I love the smell of syphilis in the morning. Smells like ... Nietzsche! Beth Walton reports on the return of an unwelcome venereal guest.

Caroline Palmer's latest dance review covers a new show at the Southern Theater, emphasizing loss in the form of movement.

Rachel Hutton discovers Greg's Meats. If she can find Akbar n' Jeff's Tofu Hut, we're in business. But first I guess I need to find a guy named Akbar.

Wait, there he is!

Watching Republicans try to be funny is usually like watching deformed animals have sex. It doesn't really produce the intended effect, but you can't turn away from the grotesque spectacle.

Got a brilliant idea for a short film? Enter it into the 10-second film festival, where the deadline is today. Need an idea for a short film? Watch this bunch from last year.

How is Minneapolis doing for bike-friendliness? MSNBC has opinions, and Bradley Campbell has ideas about how to proceed.

Cloud Cult are auctioning off a painting created at their live appearance on Carson Daly. If they're going to be selling one of the canvasses from Rock the Garden, too, sign me up.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 24, 2008 8:08 AM | Comments (0)

 

Syphilis on the Rise, Again

Filed under: Health Care

The Minnesota Department of Health released some bad news last month; syphilis is once again making a comeback in Minnesota.

For the last six years, the rate of syphilis has been increasing in the state, especially among gay and bisexual men. There were 114 new cases of the disease reported to MDH in 2007, a 30 percent increase from the previous year.

What's interesting about the MDH's newest syphilis research is that 44 percent of the newly infected gay and bisexual men are also HIV positive.

According to Bill Burleson, syphilis elimination coordinator at MDH, syphilis is a curable and preventable disease. Quoted in the Twin Cities Daily Planet he says:

We need to educate ourselves and stay informed in order to fight it. For those gay and bisexual men who are sexually active with multiple partners, especially if they met those partners on the internet, this is no longer a rare disease. It's important to know the risks, use condoms, and know what to look for if there’s a chance you or a partner may be infected.

Those at risk, even if they don't have symptoms, need to get tested for syphilis every six months, and perhaps even more often for those who are HIV positive.

According to the report, the most commonly reported risk factors among those with syphilis in 2007 were meeting partners on the internet, anonymous sex, and no condom use.

Posted by Beth Walton at June 24, 2008 5:00 AM | Comments (1)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/23: Some Can Whistle

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

When you're reading my Rock the Garden review, consider this: Andrea Myers was supposed to attend and write about the show, but our music editor was called away to go to a wedding. Always trying to duck work, I implored her to reconsider. The following exchange ensued:

Me: "Tell them to get married at Rock the Garden. What better setting than outdoors on the green?"
Myers: "I don't know if they'd go for that."
Me: "What if Andrew Bird performed the ceremony? He's a snappy dresser. He looks official, the type of man who should have the authority to do such things."
Myers (thinking, on the cusp of a revelation): "... wow, he could whistle the vows."

Alas, it was not to be. I went to the show (and have the review and slideshow online to prove it). Jeff Severns Guntzel took the opportunity to compile eight songs that run the gamut in terms of style and genre, but share one common element: a memorable whistling part.

None of the songs Severns Guntzel provides will, in the eyes of the state, actually get you married. But if I ever walk down the aisle again, I'm calling Andrew Bird first.

The blogs have been packed lately. Here are the weekend's highlights:

At Joystick Division, we give you the opportunity to win Metal Gear Solid and other cool schwag. Gary Hodges has created a new banner that features multiple gaming characters, from the obvious to the obscure. Name as many as you can, and you're the proud owner of one of the hottest new games.

The University of Minnesota has split with Victoria's Secret, determining that the clothing line is "not in step with the University's values and focus." Did anyone ask the anatomy department about this? How about evolutionary biology?

Don't miss James Tran's images from the Midwest Regional Yo-Yo Championships.

Tragic news from the local metal scene, as Useless Wooden Toys singer Chris Johnson was stabbed to death this weekend.

It's a sad day for theater enthusiasts as well. Theatre de la Jeune Lune is being sold to pay debts.

Michele Bachmann says reading an Antonin Scalia dissent is like reading a beautiful sonnet. Jeff Severns Guntzel, ever helpful, is able to turn a Scalia dissent into Elizabethan sonnet form. Next step: some enterprising reporter should ask Michele what her favorite sonnet is to see if she can name one.

This weekend, we both endorsed straight vodka (organic!) and passed around a bottle of Night Train. We can quit any time we want. In other food news, a new restaurant opened in my neighborhood, and James Norton is confused about it. See why in his first impressions of Cafe Agri.

If John McCain's campaign strategists really think Tim Pawlenty as running mate would deliver Minnesota and Wisconsin, it's a pretty good reason to vote against McCain, since that's at best bad analysis and at worst delusional. Minnesota's not likely to be close, for one thing. Vice presidential candidates don't generally affect races much, for another. Throw in the fact that T-Paw won a narrow victory here and you've got to wonder what they're thinkin'.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 23, 2008 6:07 AM | Comments (0)

 

Scalia, Bachmann's Bard

Filed under: Michele Bachmann

Last week in an interview with Politico, Michelle Bachmann said this: "For me, reading a Scalia dissent is like listening to a beautiful sonnet. I love it. It’s a pleasure to read."

A beautiful sonnet? You be the judge. I've made an Elizabethan sonnet of Scalia's dissent in the recent decision giving Guantanamo detainees the right to appeal their detention in U.S. courts. The words are all his. The title is taken from the conclusion of Scalia's opinion, where he writes: "The Nation will live to regret what the Court has done today. I dissent."

I Dissent, by Antonin Scalia

Today, for the first time in our history,
The court confers rights to alien enemies
Detained abroad by our military--
The intervention is ultra vires.
America is at war
With radical Islamists
Today's opinion will make the war
Harder on us.
Prisoners hitherto released
Return to the kill but it does not matter--
Another former detainee
Resumed his post as a Taliban commander.
The court today decrees
An inflated notion of supremacy.

What does Bachmann's bard have to say about his lyrical brand of dissent? "Who do you think I’m writing my dissents for? I’m writing for the next generation," Scalia told the Wall Street Journal in a recent interview. "Dissents are just good."

Posted by Jeff Severns Guntzel at June 23, 2008 12:21 AM | Comments (2)

 

Bring back, that lurking feeling...

Attention all lurkers: your activities will remain illegal in Minneapolis, despite the recent efforts of a City Councilmember. Last week, Cam Gordon moved to repeal an anti-lurking ordinance which has been on the books since1877 (seriously), arguing that the statute is vague, overbroad, and discriminatory.

The motion failed by a 7 to 5 vote.

“I think it is unfortunate,” says Gordon. “It’s an ineffective public safety tool.”

Minneapolis is one of just two cities in the country that has a specifically tailored anti-lurking ordinance. Proponents say it helps combat drug dealing. More specifically, the ordinance gives police the power to write up tickets for drug dealers who don’t necessarily have any drugs on them, which is to say non-drug dealers who merely look suspicious, which is to say “tan” people hanging out downtown after 11 p.m.

Of the nearly 300 people who’ve been arrested or cited for lurking the past two years, 74 percent are minorities.

“It’s just a poor ordinance,” says Gordon. “The conviction rate hovers around twenty-five-percent and it also contributes to economic and racial disparities. But while the motion failed, there were two pubic hearings and people were made aware of institutional racism.”

The ordinance does not pertain to skulking, creeping, slinking, or pussyfooting, all of which are Saturday night pastimes enjoyed by unattached white males over age 50.

[ace reporter Matt Snyders is currently off on an adventure to Phoenix... but the humble Iowan contributed 95% of this post]

Posted by Bradley Campbell at June 20, 2008 4:18 PM | Comments (6)

 

VP Pawlenty Watch: McCain team thinks T-Paw can deliver Minnesota AND Wisconsin

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.

John McCain came to town on a fundraising bender yesterday, bringing him face to face with our hero, VP frontrunner Tim Pawlenty. The AP's lede in USA Today reflect the middle school dance overtones of the courtship:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Republican John McCain made no secret of his regard for Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty during a visit to the state on Thursday, saying Pawlenty has "a very big place in the future of the Republican Party."

But McCain wouldn't say whether that place would include a spot on his ticket.

Meanwhile, US News is reporting that a source within the McCain campaign says the the vetting squad is focusing on T-Paw and believes he can deliver Minnesota and Wisconsin to the Republicans.

We may be at the flavor-of-the week point in the vice presidential sweepstakes, but that flavor right now for Team McCain is the environment-loving, hockey-playing governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty. That tidbit is courtesy of a high-ranking McCain campaign official and reflects what I've been hearing of late among GOP activists. (John McCain is in the Twin Cities today for a town hall meeting and a fundraiser.)

Internal McCain polls show that adding Pawlenty, 47, to the ticket would help McCain win not only Minnesota but also the neighboring state of Wisconsin. Both are close swing states. In 2004, John Kerry beat President Bush by 3.48 percentage points in Minnesota and 0.38 percentage point in Wisconsin. In 2000, Al Gore beat Bush by 2.4 points in Minnesota and 0.22 in Wisconsin.

In light of this news, however divorced from reality it may be, the CP Home Office is raising the VP Pawlenty Meter to Orange Alert:

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at June 20, 2008 11:41 AM | Comments (9)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/20: Things to do in Denver when you're jet-lagged

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

A whirlwind tour of the Denver airport and a hurried traipse though Larimer Square later, and I'm sitting in a Denver hotel room trying to figure out what time zone this is.

I'm in the middle of doing opposition research on this city, which will host the Democratic counterpart to the Republican National Convention. I have a hunch that mud won't be slung just between McCain and Obama, but between us and our sister paper Westword as well.

So that's what I'm up to, and why this won't be the typical run-down-the-daily-content post. That regular BoC returns next week.

For now, on the political tip, check out Nick Vlcek's photos of John McCain from last night and a new Elephants post, and be sure to take a gander at each other blog -- four new posts on Blotter, four more on Culture to Go, one on Twin Cities Eater and one on Balls (with one more coming!).

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 20, 2008 8:51 AM | Comments (0)

 

Star Tribune has strong showing in Nielsen online rankings

Filed under: Media

The Star Tribune fared well in the latest Nielsen online servey:

Brand or Channel Sessions per Person Unique Audience (000)

DrudgeReport.com 20.1 3,008

1. Daily Kos ^ 9.6 1,201

2. Fox News Digital Network 8.7 10,132

3. CNN Digital Network 7.8 33,101

4. AOL News 7.8 22,524

5. Yahoo! News 7.2 35,846

6. Economist.com 6.5 789

7. MSNBC Digital Network 6.2 35,184

8. Google News 5.5 11,356

9. Netscape 5.3 1,947

10. Breitbart.com 5.2 2,318

11. Gannett Newspapers, Newspaper Division 4.9 14,629

12. WorldNow 4.9 7,523

13. NYTimes.com 4.5 21,340

14. Townhall.com 4.5 1,181

15. Media General Newspapers 4.5 1,459

16. worldnetdaily.com 4.4 962

17. Star Tribune 4.3 2,337

18. IB Websites 4.2 5,943

19. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 4.2 842

20. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 3.9 1,359

21. Real Clear Politics 3.8 1,794

22. Newsmax.com 3.8 3,375

23. washingtonpost.com 3.7 9,204

24. Zwire 3.7 1,539

25. TWC News Websites ^ 3.7 1,110

26. USAToday.com 3.7 10,785

27. ksl.com 3.6 754

28. Hearst Newspapers Digital 3.5 7,955

29. Gannett Broadcasting 3.4 4,735

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at June 20, 2008 8:11 AM | Comments (0)

 

Two TV stations spanked by Minnesota News Council

Filed under: Media

From the Minnesota News Council:

NEWS COUNCIL UPHOLDS COMPLAINTS AGAINST KBJR-TV & KSTP-TV

Minneapolis (June 19, 2008) – The Minnesota News Council today narrowly upheld two complaints against KBJR-TV (Duluth, Minn.) and upheld one complaint against KSTP-TV.

Tony Sheda, of Wrenshall, Minn. complained that the KBJR-TV broadcast, "The War At Home" (Nov. 27, 2007) sensationalized the death of his son Adam, a staff sergeant recently returned from Iraq. The story was the first in a two-part series about the emotional effects of war on returning soldiers.

The News Council voted 9-8 to uphold a complaint that it was unfair to use Adam Sheda as an example in a story about post-traumatic stress disorder. The Council also voted 10-7 that it was unfair for KBJR to report that, "It's been said that [Adam] Sheda may have had a death wish based on a posting he made on his MySpace account."

KBJR Station Manager, Dave Jensch, said the story was based on a suggestion from a Minnesota Military Assistance Council representative that the station should help raise awareness about the issues veterans face when reentering society.

"The Sheda story was covered by all media outlets, and was the best example of veterans experiencing emotional wounds," Jensch said. "It wasn't about PTSD. Our story never said that Adam Sheda suffered from PTSD; we could never have known that."

Adam's death was a high profile story for the Northland community. Council members agreed that it did serve to draw attention, but questions arose over whether it was a good example for the broadcast.

"I appreciate the story because we don't do enough to show what these young men do in Iraq," said public member Elizabeth Costello. "I'm just not sure that Adam was the best example to show the kinds of problems soldiers are experiencing."

The News Council also voted 17-1 to uphold a complaint by Richfield City Manager Steven Devich against KSTP-TV.

Devich complained that the KSTP feature story "Richfield residents frustrated over noise" (April 20, 2008) used excerpts from a letter he wrote to a Richfield resident in a manner that was misleading. The story on noise ordinances suggested that Richfield government officials were not attentive to the needs of their constituents in this matter.

Richfield's mayor was interviewed to give the city's side of the story, which seemed to contradict the letter from Devich.

"If I would have been contacted by the reporter to explain what the letter meant, KSTP's viewers would have understood that the city, the middle school and the community were working together to try and resolve the problem," said Devich. "This type of story destroys our [the city's] credibility."

Representatives from KSTP did not attend the hearing, but in a written statement said that, "Contrary to Mr. Devich's allegations, our story was neither misleading nor one-sided. We represented the city's side by interviewing the Mayor of Richfield."

"Certainly KSTP had a right to do this story, and to use Devich's letter," said public member Noelle Hawton. "The story featured the upset citizens and statements from the mayor, but there was definitely a view missing."

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at June 19, 2008 6:30 PM | Comments (1)

 

Norm Coleman ad controversy: Was his wife spliced in?

Filed under: Norm Coleman

Lots of people are saying that this new ad from Norm Coleman looks as if footage of his wife Laurie was spliced into footage shot separately of Norm:

To my eyes, it looks fake--you can almost see the dark outline around Laurie where they had to paste her in. Other giveaways: The darkness between the crook of her left elbow, and the perspective of the table (just how long and steep is that thing?).

This is all the more damaging because it's well known that Laurie lives in LA where she's trying to be a big star.

According to her husband's Personal Financial Disclosure (a document that U.S. Senators and candidates must fill out annually to disclose their financial interests), Laurie Coleman worked for Holster, Inc., a merchandising-supply company, in Los Angeles and Susan Bristol, Inc. in New York City in 2004 ... Coleman divides her time between Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

But Republicans can't say they didn't ask for it: After all, they made an issue of Al Franken's sex jokes in Playboy. It's only natural that the spotlight now falls on Senator Coleman's own curious relationship.

And Laurie Coleman didn't look so wholesome was she was posing in lingerie:

Hat-tips: Mn Indy, MnPublius, MnBlue

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at June 19, 2008 12:43 PM | Comments (13)

 

Playboy's "Sleaziest Man in Hollywood" grew up in Minnesota

Filed under: Media

You know his work even if you don't recognize David Hans Schmidt by name. He's the behind-the-scenes scumbag that gave the world sex tapes from Screech, Colin Farrell, Tonya Harding, and other quasi celebrities. What you might not know is that he grew up in Minnesota.

From the feature on him in the new issue of Playboy:

2. From Greater Minnesota to the Sun Belt

David Hans Schmidt was born in Minnesota in 1960 and died in Phoenix in 2007. It's safe to say he was inclined to seek out trouble from early on. "My whole lifetime with David has been damage control," his father, Fred Schmidt, said in 2006. "From the start we could not keep him in the playpen with his brother. Once David got teeth he'd bite Doug and draw blood. He's been like that ever since."

Here is the opening from Schmidt's own narration of his early years, from his website, HansNews.com: "David Hans Schmidt, a so-called hyperactive lad/Ritalin experiment, was born first of twin boys in Rochester, Minnesota, an 'arid and sanitized little community,' as Garrison Keillor once said, on May 27, 1960." His father started developing real estate in the 1970s, becoming one of the most successful developers in the region; clashes between him and David, the son would later claim, included beating with wire coat hangers (which Fred denied and which David also said was part of his motivation to succeed). The elder Schmidt's other two sons, Douglas and Bill, both stayed in Minnesota: Doug, David's fraternal twin, became a contractor in Rochester, and the youngest, Bill, a grail and hog farmer. David Hans Schmidt. however, seems to have spent mostr of his time trying to get out of Minnesota. ...

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at June 19, 2008 12:11 PM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/19: Fundamentally changing our legacy

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

The title of this recurring enterprise you're reading right now is taken from a particular cereal (by way of Kurt Vonnegut). The famous "Breakfast of Champions" slogan is the topic of a new post regarding expatriate Kevin Garnett, who won his first NBA championship the other night.

It's fairly silly, especially in team sports, the way media and fans label players based on a few high-profile games. For years, KG's been tagged (unfairly) as the guy who can't get it done in big situations. Now, you see headlines like "fundamentally changed his legacy." It's part of the process of myth-making in sport, and I get that. But it's something that shouldn't be taken too seriously.

Let's say Paul Pierce's knee injury had actually been serious, and the Celtics had lost the Lakers series. Suddenly, Garnett's a choker again? Let's say Derek Jeter had been drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Are the words "Mr. November" ever used to refer to him? Team sports just have too many broader factors to make these pronouncements intellectually defensible.

Ernie Banks never swung a bat in a playoff game. Obviously, not as good a player as Scott Brosius.

Our latest slideshow features the Black Angels with the Warlocks last night from the Turf Club, including some images of fans at the show by Emily Utne.

Want to see the longest, sleaziest disclaimer, more full of hidden charges than that time you let your crazy ex "borrow" your credit card? Check out this non-Apple gold iPhone promotion.

Turns out Amazon Bookstore, like Cary Elwes in the Princess Bride, was only mostly dead. Now the country's oldest feminist bookstore has been revived, and is ready to once again storm patriarchy's castle.

Sign up for our new, free food newsletter.

With all the Republican sex scandals these days, you really wouldn't be surprised to see the headline "Republican rep's web page includes images of a man blowing himself."

Ah, a good Belgian Wit. James Norton says don't miss these beers this summer.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 19, 2008 7:46 AM | Comments (1)

 

Fun with RSS readers

Filed under: Media

When you follow a lot of blogs, use of an RSS reader where new posts are routed directly to You, The Reader, is de rigeur. Sometimes a long blog headline is truncated.

Usually, this is pretty annoying, as your (my) lazy ass tries to guess at what the post might mean before wasting three seconds of your life and one or two calories by actually clicking on it. Other times, the truncations are delicious, as this screenshot reveals. Check out that top item.

Hell yes it's marked as read. Hell yes I clicked on that.

And I was disappointed. As you can see from the original item,
this post by Mindy's Andy Birkey, only one tiny word is removed -- but like a barely-there swimsuit, sometimes removing a little bit makes a big difference.

Birkey did just win a Sexie Award, but that's wholly unrelated, however amusing it is in the the context of the original item.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 18, 2008 6:25 PM | Comments (0)

 

iScam: Don't click that Facebook iPhone ad!

Filed under: Business

If you own a television, read newspapers or Internet machines, listen to the radio or are ever in close proximity to earnest Apple nerds, then you know about the forthcoming new 3G iPhone.

I would buy one now if I could. And if they would let me buy one now, I would promise not to kick Steve Jobs in the balls for boning the early adopter yet again.

Perhaps this makes me a sucker. But as the saying goes, there's an early iPhone adopter born every minute. Time put it this way:

The Apple brand is synonymous with style—that's why so many people were willing to pay $599 for the iPhone a year ago, knowing full well that they were little more than beta-testing a pokey 2G device that, in many ways, was obsolete the moment it went on sale. It was easier to rationalize if you told yourself you weren't buying a gadget—you were buying art!

Yes. That's right. I am an artist, I told myself the other day, crying silent tears over my unjust two week wait for the new yuppie gadget. To cement my 'Net age hipster douchebag cred, I logged into Facebook.

Since nothing says art like gold plating, my iPhone aficionado eyes were drawn like a trout's to this shiny object:

Win a gold iPhone! the advertisement screamed at me. All you have to do is answer 10 trivia questions! And then you'll look like how ODB would look if where younger, pastier, had no grill and were alive. With an overpriced phone.

Now, this trivia "contest" is obviously a scam. All of these promotions are. But I'm glad I clicked the link out of curiosity, because what a scam it is. This is the verbatim disclaimer that appears beneath the contest rules.

iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Apple is not a sponsor of, nor a partner in this promotion. Gold iPhone Trivia service has a signup fee of $9.99, billed by premium SMS to your mobile phone number. Subscription. Weekly products menu charged @ $9.99. The Trivia game includes 10 multiple choice trivia questions, each of which must be answered correctly to proceed. Questions are delivered to your mobile phone by premium SMS at a cost of up to $1.99 per question and answer pair. Additional hints may be delivered in case of an incorrect answer. Participants answering all ten questions correctly are sent the Tiebreaker question. Answers will be logged into our database and the fastest correct answer will be identified. The fastest correct response to the Tiebreaker question is eligible to win the Gold iPhone prize. Speed of answer is calculated as the difference between the time-date stamp of the Tiebreaker question message sent to the handset and the time-date stamp of the response message. The prize is dependent on a minimum of 100 players, identified as unique mobile numbers, playing the Trivia quiz game, where playing is defined as receiving at least one Trivia quiz question. It will only be awarded if this participation level is met. Prize winner will be notified by SMS and provided with a verification code and instructions on how to claim the prize. The prize must be claimed within 30 days of the SMS notification message, or it is forfeited. If more than one person claims the prize, claimants will be required to prove possession of the mobile phone with the fastest correct response time before the prize is awarded. Trivia quiz game run by mBill. Subscribers and players consent to receive occasional promotional messages. To cancel reply STOP to the relevant service at any time. For help call 888 50 62455.

Also, do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.

Despite my love of all things trivia and all things iPhone, I guess I'll have to beg off. Besides, gold iPhones are for ballin' on a budget. Real players rock the white gold with diamond-encrusted bezel.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 18, 2008 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

 

Breakfast of Champions 6/18: Oh, baby

Filed under: Breakfast of Champions

It's the (almost) all Beth Walton issue. Start with her feature story about surrogate pregnancy, which explains the social and political landscapes of the issue through the eyes of local people. Also see the accompanying slideshow featuring three of the women involved and blog post explaining the broader contours of the story.

Then there's everyone's favorite pre-pregnancy activity, dating. Walton and her boyfriend tried out speed dating, a practice that gleaned numerous humorous anecdotes. For photos and more stories, also see her Reporter's Notebook.

Keeping with the pregnancy theme: This is the most heartwarming story you will ever read about a horse getting his vasectomy reversed. The horse's name? Minnesota. Somewhere, there is an Animal Farm-esque allegorical novel to be written here.

On the plus side, new domestic oil drilling in the U.S. would get us another day or two's supply of gas. On the down side, we'd despoil priceless ecological treasures and systematically dismantle the heritage of future American children. So you take the good with the bad, right, Michele?

Eclipse Records is having a 20-and-under show. I'm getting a fake ID and sneaking in with a flask, a copy of AARP News and my lawn. So I can tell you kids to get the hell off of it.

It's not just the Strib that has to worry about bankruptcy. MediaNews Group, parent of the Pi Press, is on the skids as well.

Taste buds tingling after Rachel Hutton's dining report on the Chef Shack? Find out three things to do with a date in the area. Does not include heavy petting as a suggestion. Or maybe it does, but you won't know until you click.

Guitar virtuoso Bill Frisell is back, playing at the Cedar tomorrow night. He had kind words for our fair Midwest outpost.

If Bradley Campbell sees you riding your bike without a light, he's likely to run over you himself. On principle.

Judd Spicer lauds Michael Cuddyer's outfield arm, naming him Secretary of Defense for the Twins.

Posted by Jeff Shaw at June 18, 2008 8:05 AM | Comments (0)

 

Reporter's Notebook: Speed Dating

Filed under: City Pages , City Pages

Speed dating was so much fun I have a few more details of the evening that I just have to share.

1. My boyfriend went on a date with Caroline, the “hottie” I refer to in my story. According to him: “"She'’s a bitch."” She made fun of him for still being in school. Even so, I still want to know what happened between her and Ken.

2. Roberto, the blood drawing medical technician who sounded so creepy in the story, has a lighter side. Dance is his passion, especially “bopping and moon walking.” He also likes to watch Lifetime.

3. In addition to hockey and basketball, Bruce, “the jock,” actually plays on a kickball league. “It’'s just like elementary school gym class, but with booze! "It's more of a beer drinking type deal," he said. (I am seriously contemplating putting together a team and signing up.)

4. During intermission I went on a date with a guy named Omar who didn't make the cut in the print edition. Like me, he was getting sauced. Omar wasn’'t having that much luck speed dating, even though he just met a professional salsa dancer. Omar hates to shake his groove thing. "“I only do it when I’'m alone," he slurred.

On a perfect evening Omar, an artist, would cozy up in his apartment with a mug of hot chocolate and paint. I told him I tried to be a writer time and again, and he had some creative advice.

Drink wine while you work, he said. It will open up your mind. “"Think of life as a river and think of you as a leaf. You can sometimes get stuck to a stone in the middle of river, or you can chose to float wherever the river takes you. The fun going where the river takes you.” "

At this point, I totally want some of whatever Omar is on.

“"Cheers to that,”"I say.

“"To finding love and being philosophical,"” he spouts.

And then we ordered another glass.

5. I actually know someone who met his wife speed dating. While Little Penguin, the company that provided the much-loved wine for the evening, reports that 18 percent of Minneapolis daters use cyberspace to find a mate, speed dating is so much better, says Mark from Saint Paul.

Sick of being set up and tired of meeting people at bars, speed dating was a really efficient way to sort through people and see who he wanted to be with, Mark says.

“"Think about the time you had to go on a blind date, but within five minutes you realized you never wanted to see them again, but you had to spend three more hours with them. When you speed date you get to decide right away…...

"For us, we just knew.”"

The pair was married last year. So, there is hope.

During one of my dates I actually met that guy looking for the one. You'll never believe it... Craig, the nervous wreck, was a hopeless romantic. Get this ladies, he wants “"something serious. You know, sex is sex, but it only lasts so long. The fact of the matter is I kind of want to start a family," he told me.

Later, I recalled this story at the bar to a resounding chorus of girls going: "Aww, how sweet." Then, one women says, "‘Why don’t I ever meet anyone like that?’"

My response: Because you don’t go speed dating. Eight Minute Dating is hosting two more dating events in Minnesota this month. Click here to register.

6. I couldn’'t believe the diversity of daters. And, to make my point, I just want to include my date with the Jesus lover. I'’m calling him God:

I sit down at God’'s table and realize the Asian man is practically asleep. Apparently, this whole Speed Dating thing isn'’t working out for him tonight.

"It’s got potential, I just don’t know if it’s got high potential,”" says God, who has been speed dating before.

God is an electrical engineer, but in his spare time he reads Michael Crichton books, plays soccer, and worships. He goes to church three or four times a week.

“"I just like worshiping,"” he says. "“I like singing and praising the Lord. I know I’'m not perfect. I'’m a sinner; I'’m not any different than anyone else, I just have a need. I know God is very real. All you have to do is look around, see designs all over the world, all over nature, somebody designed it you know.”"

"“Wow, I never thought of it that way,"” I said unsure of how else to respond.

“"On the surface level you can see it everywhere, you know, with snowflakes and rainbows."

On that note... let’s talk about the best way to pick someone up. Little Penguin worked with Dating Diva and Booty Food author Jacqui Malouf, to help patrons figure out how to “heat things up—in and out of the kitchen.”

Here’ are some fun facts and tips, generated from Little Penguin’'s Dating and Mating Survey.

-Get drunk: 60 percent of people say wine enhances the dating experience.

-Use those cheesy lines: Half of the women polled say they still fall for pickup lines, but they are less likely to try them out. Forty percent of single men say they use pickup lines, while only 22 % of women admit to trying it.

-Talk up your career: Everyone is concerned about professional success, but women more so: (60% to 74%).

-Men, you don't have to pay, just offer: While men tend to think they should pay the check on the first date, only 1/3 of women expect it.

-Go ahead and call afterwards: The three-day rule is out. The new standing is that it’s OK to call, email or text the person within one or two days of the date.

-Turn on the charm: Both men and women rank personality as the number one characteristic they are looking for in a date. Not surprisingly, the second most important criteria for men it’s appearance and for women it was a sense of humor.

-Smell good, but not too good: Forgo the second, third or fourth spritz of perfume or cologne. A little goes a long way.

-Be aware of the game: Women play hard to get more often than men: (37% to 23%).

For more dating tips and the chance to enter into a pickup line contest and win a free trip to Australia, go here.

Finally, some photos for your viewing pleasure.

Here I am talking to Chuck, aka gross guy, you know advertising, har, har, har.

Here's Chuck flirting with someone else. Poor someone else...

Here's the general speed dating scene. If you notice, I'm in the corner with God.

Afterwards, everyone mingled. This is me talking with Tom, the construction worker/ aspiring children's book author.

Posted by Beth Walton at June 17, 2008 5:11 PM | Comments (3)

 

Reporter's Notebook: Surrogacy

Filed under: Health Care

The controversy surrounding surrogacy, the topic of this week's feature, is hardly new. Besides being regulated in the Code of Hammurabi, dating from 1800 B.C., a disagreement over a surrogate situation is linked to the great division between Christianity and Islam.

The Torah, the Bible and the Koran all recount the story of Avraham Avinu, Father Abraham, or Ibrahim, depending on the translation. As the tale goes, Abraham’s wife Sarah was infertile. Faced with the shame of being barren, she gave her husband her Egyptian handmaid, Hagar, to help him procreate.

Once the baby was born, however, Sarah was plagued by jealousy and forced Hagar and her new son, Ishmael, to flee. The two escaped to the Arabian Peninsula, and Ishmael and his descendants are often credited with the spread of the Muslim faith.

Surrogacy remains controversial in many ways because it redefines society’s most basic idea of motherhood, report Lorraine Ali and Raina Kelley in the March 2008 edition of Newsweek. It questions the celebrated bond between mother and child. It mixes science with one of the most common and natural human customs, childbirth.

The practice is banned throughout most of Europe and a dozen states, including New York, New Jersey and Michigan, refuse to recognize surrogacy contracts.

Usually, the issues of compensation are the most contentious. Providing money to surrogates lures poor women to the practice, says Tom Prichard, president of the Minnesota Family Council. "It’s baby selling and the exploitation of women. It’s wrong."

Others, including most medical professionals, surrogates and intended parents, say that surrogate payment is money well deserved. There are much better jobs then being pregnant all the time. There's morning sickness, bed rest, the risk of complication, the possibility of a forced cesarean section, the time carrying a child takes away from one’s own family, household or career responsibilities and the required nine months of personal restraint.

While riddled with controversy, surrogacy is on the rise in the United States.

"At the high end, industry experts estimate there were about 1,000 surrogate births in the United States last year," Newsweek reports. It's gaining ground in Minnesota too, says local surrogacy lawyer Steve Snyder, who also runs the International Assisted Reproductive Center, a Twin Cities-based surrogacy agency. "People have come here from all over the world to find a carrier." Fertility tourism, as it is often called, has become so lucrative it's even being outsourced.

Advances in Assisted Reproductive Technology starting in 1970 have changed the way infertile couples think about having kids, says University of Minnesota reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Theodore Nagel. The first test tube baby was born in 1978 and now there are over a million babies born that way worldwide. One percent of all American births are the result of ART, he adds.

More than ever before, the medical landscape is such that nearly anyone can have a baby if they desire and are dedicated to the process. "If you think about it, with all this technology, one child could have five different parents: a sperm donor, an egg donor, a surrogate, and the intended," says Nagel excitedly. "It's really quite amazing."

Surrogacy is popular because it allows people to have a genetic link to their children and it is often times cheaper than adoption or multiple rounds of in vitro fertilization, says Snyder. Despite its controversy, traditional surrogacy, when the surrogate uses her own eggs, remains especially attractive to low-income families because it is affordable. Artificial insemination only costs between $500 and $1,000.

Gestational surrogacy, when the surrogate only donates her womb, requires IVF, a procedure not covered by most insurance companies, which averages around $12,000 to $15,000 per cycle. Because of this, traditional surrogacy is often the most viable and affordable option for poor couples or homosexual partners looking to expand their family.

In recent years, many states have legalized surrogacy in order to regulate it. In the last five years Texas, Florida, Utah and Illinois have passed pro-surrogacy legislation. More than a dozen other states including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California already have pro-surrogacy case law as guidance.

Former surrogate and Minnesota resident Tracey Sajady thinks legislation is the only way to go, citing the day she and the genetic mother and father were scheduled to go to court to complete the adoption process required after a surrogate birth. For the last nine months she had carried a child for her sister-in-law and was flabbergasted when their lawyer told them they should come back to court another day.

He never specified what was wrong, but it’s hard not to wonder if the judge would have denied the surrogacy because of personal politics, says Sajady. "How weird would that have been, if the judge had told us her baby wasn’t really hers? I mean we could have paid all this money and done genetic testing to prove the child belon