Minnesota slices of life, every weekday.
Recent Stories
- Gay Hip-Hop Film
- Chillaxin' @ Cedar Lake
- Africa at the Zoo
- Tearing Down
- Recycling Truck Fire
- Computer Video Hot Dogs
- Nibbles the Duck
- Minneapolis Central Library
- The Pillow Cometh
- Investigative Report: Amy's Record
Archives
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
« April 2006 |
Main
| June 2006 »
May 30, 2006Gay Hip-Hop Film
Tonight, as part of the Flaming Film Festival, is your only chance to see Pick Up the Mic, a documentary about the gay hip-hop scene. (No, I didn't know there was a gay hip-hop scene either.) Minneapolis rapper Tori Fixx is featured in the film. Catch it Tuesday, May 30 @ 9PM at the Suburban World Theater. (Thanks Emily Goldberg for the tip!) Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:51 AM | Comments (5) May 29, 2006Chillaxin' @ Cedar Lake
Happy Memorial Day. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:56 PM | Comments (4) May 26, 2006Africa at the Zoo
This weekend's video comes to us from Dan and Jen's Animal Friends: Last night, since we are members of the MN Zoo, we got to go to see a sneak peek of the new exhibit, Africa: Summer on the Savanna. It was really cool. The new animals were really great to see, and the workers, trainers, and volunteers were full of great information. Check out the pages linked here; they have commercials for the exhibit and a feed for a podcast about it. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 11:08 AM | Comments (1) May 25, 2006Tearing Down
Every time you turn around, something is being torn down (or carried away to make way for condos. MPR producer Jim Bickal says: I shot some video of an old storage shed being torn down to make way for the next wave of condos along the Greenway (29th and Aldrich). The building had a big mural on the side. I have some nice shots of the mural being ripped apart and then parts of it being salvaged by a couple of women who work in the building next door. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:20 AM | Comments (0) May 24, 2006Recycling Truck Fire
You know how sometimes, you're driving home and the road is blocked by emergency vehicles? And you're like, WTF? I brought my gawker-cam down to the scene. Turns out a recycling truck caught fire. This is the aftermath. My neighbor Alden has the skinny. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:44 AM | Comments (0) May 23, 2006Computer Video Hot Dogs
You see what it's come to? Unless you people send in your videos, I'm forced to subject you to our weird home videos. WARNING: Contains F-bombs. RELATED VIDEO: Hobbit House Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:56 AM | Comments (6) May 22, 2006Nibbles the Duck
Do not be confused, video wanderer! This isn't Dan and Jen's Animal Friends—though they've got plenty of gosling and duck action on their vlog. This is a random duck encounter at the end of Art-A-Whirl. An Indian Runner to be more specific, a breed I'd never heard of, very much resembling a bowling pin. Somewhat disturbingly, you can buy eggs on eBay and try hatching your own Indian Runner ducks. That's what the woman in this video did, intending to give the ducks to her dad. Sadly, only one hatched. I've seen how UPS packers throw boxes into a truck, so I can't imagine it's easy for them to survive. That's why Nibbles is a miracle duck! Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:29 AM | Comments (6) May 19, 2006Minneapolis Central Library
Minneapolis is secretly becoming a world-class city. Behold the new Minneapolis Central Library, opening on May 20. The giant cantilever proudly juts over Hennepin Avenue, intersecting seasonal glass imagery. I think it just might be taunting the Walker Art Center. Equally important as the aesthetics is its mission for Minnesota. Check out the New Americans Center, the 300 public access computers and wifi, and of course Teen Central. Did I mention you could walk around with Dunn Bro's coffee? Take that, Barnes & Noble. Special thanks to Tom Bartel for arranging this sneak peek tour for local bloggers. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:23 AM | Comments (9) May 18, 2006The Pillow Cometh
May 20: Pillow Fight Club MSP Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:48 AM | Comments (3) May 17, 2006Investigative Report: Amy's Record
Today, Minnesota Stories goes deep undercover to investigate an "attack" web site called Amy's Corner, purporting to lay out the real record of Amy Klobuchar. We set the record straight. RELATED LINKS: Posted by Minnesota Stories at 08:09 AM | Comments (11) May 16, 2006Double Rainbow
A double-delicious rainbow swooped over Minneapolis last night. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:23 AM | Comments (7) May 15, 2006Mix Tape Genius
Are you ready for some comedy? And, can you tolerate student film? If you answered yes to at least 50% of those questions, you're ready for Mix Tape Genius. Written (and lived) by my pal Jonathan, I hastily produced this for a video class several years ago. Mix Tape Genius inexplicably and irrevocably screened at the Walker Art Center's DIG.IT festival on October 17, 2002. For those seeking a peek behind the dark, vibrating curtain that is Gradley Wombish, here's an essay he wrote when he was 14. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:27 AM | Comments (5) May 13, 2006Negativland's Mark Hosler on Copyright
“You don't get total control.” Mark Hosler is a founding member of sound collage pioneers Negativland. He talks about their role in creating the Creative Commons sampling license, and on copyright + culture in general. VERY interesting stuff if you're at all interested in intellectual property issues. If you're not familiar with Negativland, check out this video. They're perhaps most famous for getting sued by U2. I also highly recommend you pick up a copy of No Business, their first cd with no original material whatsoever. Plunderlicious! Mark Hosler is in Minneapolis for Negativlandland, a group exhibition which opened May 12 at Creative Electric Studios. It's a brilliant exhibit - go check it out on a Saturday, through June 10. RELATED VIDEO: RELATED LINKS: Posted by Minnesota Stories at 11:32 AM | Comments (8) May 12, 2006Negativlandland
Legendary sound collage artists Negativland have been making intellectual property waves for over 25 years. They were famously sued by U2 in 1991, commemorated recently in an unauthorized Special-Edition Negativland vs. U2 iPod. But did you know about their controversial connection to Minnesota? Here'a a little background on how their song "Christianity is Stupid" was partially blamed for the David Brom ax murders in Rochester, Minnesota. Founding member Mark Hosler is in town for Negativlandland, a group exhibition which runs through June 10 at Creative Electric Studios. It's brilliant - go see it! RELATED VIDEO: RELATED LINKS: Posted by Minnesota Stories at 07:52 AM | Comments (7) May 11, 2006Lemon Sunrise
Please enjoy this journey to the center of a flower called "Lemon Sunrise." MUSIC: Smattering, when blue turns to pink (remix) courtesy Adonis Music RELATED VIDEO: The Green Darner Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:40 AM | Comments (6) May 10, 2006May Day: National Priority
From Aleshia Mueller: In the Heart of the Beast puppet and mask theater held its 32nd annual May Day Parade and Festival on Sunday, May 7, 2006. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:14 PM | Comments (7) May 09, 2006Hat O' Liver
A short, dark film "with political implications," I am told. Genuinely creepy in a David Lynch sort of way. FILMMAKER: Chris Nystrom Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:46 AM | Comments (5) May 08, 2006Walk for Animals
This video comes to us from Dan and Jen's Animal Friends: Yesterday was the Animal Humane Society's Walk for Animals. It was really fun. They had a lot of different animals: pigs, goats, ponies, and of course all the regulars -- Dan brought Spike. We didn't actually participate in the "walk", but the rest was like a carnival for the animals. They had free food for people and treats for animals. Did you capture video of an event recently? Send it to Minnesota Stories. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:04 AM | Comments (4) May 05, 2006Powderhorn Park History
Do not adjust your monitor. Do not reset your iPod. You are really seeing Cathy Wurzer from Twin Cities Public Television's Almanac right here on Minnesota Stories. More importantly, you're hearing some great oral history about Powderdorn Park. Just in time for the beloved spring ritual that is the MayDay Parade and Festival. Do you have any stories about Powderhorn Park or the MayDay Festival? Leave a comment or find us in the park. We'll be there on Sunday with our cameras and our freak flag flying. RELATED LINKS: RELATED VIDEO: Special thanks to TPT Producer Dan Bergin for lending us this timely video. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:18 AM | Comments (5) May 04, 2006Homegrown: if thousands
Here's a lovely video from Starfire, who founded Duluth's Homegrown Music Festival in 1999 — one year after his 30th birthday. Soundtrack provided by if thousands. RELATED LINKS: Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:15 AM | Comments (0) May 03, 2006Kos @ 331 Club
Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, creator of the influential lefty blog Daily Kos, has co-written a new book called Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-powered Politics. Here's a bit of dark video from his Q&A at Drinking Liberally, just a couple blocks from my house at the 331 Club. The Power Liberal has a roundup of Zúniga's visit. "The Wege" was nearly the subject of an interview, but my tape and battery simultaneously ran out. I suspect the NSA is to blame. RELATED VIDEO: Joe Trippi interview, 2004 Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:14 AM | Comments (2) May 02, 2006Twin Cities Daily Planet
Minnesota is lucky. Not only do we have a diverse community and strong neighborhoods, but we have lots of vibrant independent media sources for those communities. It's that deeply local, humanistic community journalism that goes beyond what you see in big media. The only problem: It's scattered across many small newspapers and other outlets. Enter Twin Cities Daily Planet. Besides having a cool comic book name, the Daily Planet is a portal to more than 30 community newspapers and online publications (including Minnesota Stories and MNspeak). All that local niche information is aggregated in one spot. News shouldn't be a monologue; it's a conversation. T.C. Daily Planet have taken lessons from the We Media movement and South Korea's Oh My News (motto: "Every Citizen is a Reporter"). Are you passionate about a local issue? Become a citizen journalist and make the news. RELATED LINKS: Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:10 AM | Comments (4) May 01, 2006Washaka, The Bear Dreamer
Washaka, The Bear Dreamer, written by Minnesota-born author Jamie Lee, is available today in your favorite local bookstore and online. Jamie and her husband, Rocketboom correspondent Milt Lee were in Stillwater for a reading at The Valley Bookseller as part of their "New Faces in the Valley" series. The story of how the book came to be is remarkable. Jamie was sitting in a coffee shop writing in her notebook, wondering what her next project should be. Leon Hale, a Lakota man, approached her with the story of a powerful dream he had. He was seeking a writer to tell his story to the world, and knew Jamie was the one. As Jamie puts it, she recorded his dream in 11 sessions and then it was time to put her own creative spirit into the story. Washaka, The Bear Dreamer was born out of their collaboration. Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:41 PM | Comments (1) |
