July 30, 2007

Tractor Pull

A recent email to Minnesota Stories said "More tractor pulls, please." This video from the National Tractor Pullers Association Power Pull Nationals in Hutshinson, MN fits the bill. Filmed by YouTube user nswsparky. Don't forget your earplugs.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 10:21 PM | Comments (3)

July 27, 2007

Lake Francis

Aww yeah... get ready for some frogs and hummingbords and crap! Every year we spend a long weekend at Lake Frances, about 1.5 hrs west of the Twin Cities. It's the perfect lake.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:40 AM | Comments (1)

July 26, 2007

Rondo Days

Before Interstate 94, there was Rondo. Rondo Avenue was the heart of the vibrant Rondo neighborhood, St. Paul's largest Black neighborhood. It was obliterated in the 1960's by the construction of 94, but every year some of those severed connections are renewed during Rondo Days Festival.

In this video - a MN Stories favorite - a couple of lifelong Rondo residents reconnect with their old schoolmate they hadn't seen in 40 years.

RELATED LINK:
TC Daily Planet: 2007 Rondo Days in St. Paul

Got any summer videos? Rants, reunions, or revelations? Send 'em to story@mnstories.com.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:17 AM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2007

Gluek's 150 Year Anniversary

Duane Kuss of DigElogROCORI produced this 10 minute mini documentary about the story of two breweries in Minnesota that became one. It covers the establishment and history of both the Gluek Brewery and the Cold Spring Brewery. Gluek is celebrating their 150th Anniversary this year and this coming weekend will be holding a Country Rock Star Concert at their Distribution Center in Cold Spring. Click for more info about that concert and the long history of Gluek's.

One interesting factoid - lots of energy drinks come out of Gluek's.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:23 PM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2007

MN Question on the CNN/YouTube debate

Did you watch the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate? If so, you saw this question from Marcus Bentsen, filmed by The Uptake at a downtown Minneapolis bus stop. While the idea of presidential candidates taking questions from YouTube is very forward-thinking and democratic, not everyone has access to a video camera and broadband. The Uptake set out to bring more people into the process by filming questions from people on the street and posting them on YouTube. We're absolutely thrilled they chose one of those questions in the debate.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 08:33 PM | Comments (1)

July 20, 2007

Reclaiming Our World

Hey kids - don't do meth!

This is a scene from The Northern Lights: Shining the Light on the Meth-edemic, a Minnesota-filmed documentary about a small town making a stand against methamphetamine. The stories are based upon real interviews. Visit themethedemic.com for more info, including a movie making contest.

MINNESOTA STORIES IN THE NEWS

Thanks to the users of Vita.mn for voting MN Stories #4 in Best Local Blogs!

Also, check out this swell NewTeeVee.com interview.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:59 AM | Comments (3)

July 19, 2007

I Hate My Job

A music video for the people. Song composed and performed by Marla Goodman. Animation by John Akre of Sloppy Films.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:17 AM | Comments (4)

July 18, 2007

DFL Message to Sen. Norm Coleman

The Minnesota DFL held a press conference on the eve of an all-night Iraq War debate in the U.S. Senate. Their message to Sen. Norm Coleman: "Abandon the president’s failed war strategy and allow an up-or-down vote on a binding timeline for bringing the troops home by April 2008."

This video is just the tip of the iceberg (avalanche?) for a new citizen journalism video project I'm helping launch. It's called The Uptake, and we ask: Will journalism be done by you, or to you?

Raw video from this press conference and an additional interview will be available soon on theuptake.org and on The Uptake's YouTube channel.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:53 AM | Comments (2)

July 17, 2007

Butterfly Pee

WARNING -- ADULT CONTENT

Not really. Just a lovely black swallowtail finding sweet freedom, and leaving a little present before takeoff. Watch for black swallowtails to start showing up in Minnesota soon - they love parsley and dill plants.

HAPPY 2 YEAR VLOGIVERSARY, MINNESOTA STORIES!

The first video posted to MN Stories was "Hot enough to fry an egg?" on July 6, 2005. The site went public when WIRED News published an article about videoblogs on July 13, 2005.

Since then, we've posted 471 videos from all kinds of lovely contributors: YouTubers, filmmakers, bloggers, and camera-toting people with Minnesota connections.

Thanks to all of you for making this a great site.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:08 AM | Comments (5)

July 16, 2007

Prince line 07/07/07

Wanna know what crazy people look like? Prince-crazy people, hundreds and hundreds of them, camped out for the chance to see Prince play First Avenue on 07/07/07. Dave Loomer kept tabs on the line all day. Watch for an overly-excited doofus walking behind WCCO's Jason DeRusha.

Check out more of Dave's music videos on Twin Cities Live.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:16 AM | Comments (4)

July 13, 2007

Robert Wilcox & Ted Hartwell

Here is a video sketch of the late photographer Robert Wilcox as described by the now late Ted Hartwell. Hartwell was a photographer and the curator of photography at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

The portrait was created in the summer of 2006 by Conrad Zbikowski and Phoebe Bottoms, a couple high school students in the Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth, working with their teachers Media Mike Hazard and David Bengtson.

Hartwell’s enthusiasm for camera works and camera workers shines.

For moving tributes to Hartwell, visit Alec Soth’s awesome blog.

For a fine and appreciative obituary writ by Mary Abbe in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, click.

To hear a sweet obit on MPR, click.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 09:25 AM | Comments (0)

July 12, 2007

Minnesota Climbing

Wade Johnson is a recent Carleton graduate and rock climber. Some folks might think the entire Midwest is flat. Clearly those people have never visited Red Wing, Taylors Falls, or the North Shore. In this 10 minute documentary, Wade follows his climbing crew in each of those places, and learns what drives them to climb.

If you're impatient, don't miss the action in the middle (4:00 - 6:30). You'll really feel what it's like to grapple a difficult rock with your bare hands.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:15 AM | Comments (3)

July 10, 2007

Prince Car Alarm

This hilarious video imagines Prince owing the IRS for all those years his name was a symbol. How to pay them back? Yes, the Prince Car Alarm.

Produced by Charles Hugh Farleigh for UCLA's Mike and Ben Show.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:53 AM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2007

Loon

Why Minnesota? This is why. A lovely meditative video from Kevin of Video Haiku. Shot near Cloquet, MN in late June.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:00 AM | Comments (3)

July 06, 2007

Sex Ed and the State

Everyone's buzzing about Michael Moore's Sicko, which you can download online. On September 20, 2007, Sex Ed and The State screens at Riverview Theater in Minneapolis. It's a balanced look at an important health care issue, right in our own backyard.

From the web site: "When a bill is supported by strong research, a Surgeon General's report, and an overwhelming majority of Americans - what happens when it's introduced in the Minnesota State legislature?

RELATED LINK:
City Pages review

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:04 AM | Comments (0)

July 05, 2007

Cedar Lake music video

Fireworks are cool and all, but few things are more rewarding than a holiday afternoon on Cedar Lake beach. This one is worth watching big size.

Music by The Chemical Brothers.

RELATED VIDEOS:
Chillaxin' @ Cedar Lake (Memorial Day 2006)
Pouringdown.tv - How it started

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 06:50 AM | Comments (9)

July 03, 2007

Minnesota Says Thank You

From Mike Mcintee at Inside Minnesota Politics:

It's taken more than 60 years, but Minnesota finally has a memorial to those who fought in World War II. Some of the most touching moments were not part of the grand ceremony, but off to the side where each veteran who attended was personally thanked and given a medal. Congressman Keith Ellison narrates.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:39 AM | Comments (2)

July 02, 2007

Miss Hmong Minnesota

Somehow, this cheery video will put you in the right mood for a Monday. Filmed at the Metrodome in August, 2006 and posted by hmongamerica.

Posted by Minnesota Stories at 07:20 AM | Comments (1)