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Brian Lambert interviews the newly-named Current PD, Jim McGuinn, over at mspmag.com. He'll begin overseeing things in January. While commercial music radio goes down the tubes, Jim's hiring restores my faith in terrestrial radio's ability to find the path back to BROADcasting; not NARROWcasting.
Some highlights:
"There's no doubt commercial radio is in trouble," said McGuinn, who is approximately twenty years younger than I am. "They're all dealing with the customization of choice everyone is struggling with. ["Customization of choice." I like that.] That struggle is what The Current is built on."
"The commercial stations I worked at had been hit with cost cutting so many times that really the only thing left on their minds was asking, 'What's the least amount of money we can spend on programming and still make it viable enough to sell to advertisers?'"
Touche', Jim. In the Age of the iPod, it's insanity for terrestrail radio to continue it's "niche" approach to programming. Hopefully, the Current can keep the bean-counters at bay with Jim's appointment.
Almost 200 uncounted ballots discovered in Ramsey County, that's what. To quote Jeff Rosenberg, "Conservative freakout in 3...2...1.... " Although, Ramsey County? Might they not favor Coleman?
TC Eats: Cosmos
We Got Served: Amazing Thailand
Camatcho Watcho: Forepaugh’s
TC Breakfast Club: This Bank Doesn't Need a Bailout
With word that a Lunds may be coming to downtown St. Paul, it's time to revisit one of the most important local questions: Where do you shop for groceries, and why?
Metro Magazine looks forward to the future of art: "No more year-end 'best-of' lists," they say "They are backward-looking and, frankly, who has the time?" In the meanwhile, MnSpeak's own Andy writes about A Day Without Artists. We might also consider what Minnesota will be like with fewer museums, as the Museum of American Art has, at least temporarily, closed.
Molly Priesmeyer looks at the Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (facts on the program; PDF from MnHousing.org) in which the Twin Cities will work together to purchase vacant homes in both cities. MnSpeak's own Ranty is quoted in the story: “I think it’s horrifying that all that money is going to demolition, for a number of reasons,” Nompelis tells the Daily Planet. “The first is that I don’t believe all of these homes should be demolished. It’s much cheaper and greener to renovate. And one of the things that could be used as an attraction to North Minneapolis is the low prices of these homes. By mowing these houses down we are removing opportunity.”
An eery letter The Rake got from Adam Minter two years ago: "...there was little indication that any serious effort was being made to halt potential attacks." And here's a blog post he wrote on Friday with pictures of Mumbai's "security." "In Bombay, we are in God’s hands."
Local Blogger Lily Speak sings the praises of Etsy, an online source for arts and crafts that allows you to search for artists by locality. In the spirit of the coming holidays, I thought I would round up some of my favorite locals on the site. Feel free to add your own, from Etsy or elsewhere.
Constant Dreamer
FriendlyMade
Nicedesigns
Barefootphotos
Kelly Newcomer
Aesthete Jewelry
King Mini
Are we headed toward a recession? According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit organization, we've been in one since December 2007. Target is exprimenting with selling food to try and keep afloat. Medtronic has experienced slower than usual sales of pacemakers. Minnesota may lose 55,000 jobs. What are you doing to ride out the economic slump? And what's the difference between a recession and a depression anyway?
According to On Point News, a former restaurant manager at the Hilton Minneapolis has filed a lawsuit claiming that she "was fired after she opened the door to a banquet room at the Hilton [and] discovered an orgy involving Hilton upper management." The aforementioned orgy allegedly occurred "on top of a table." According to the complaint, the plaintiff was told by the hotel's "beverage manager" that "she would be fired, and he would be sure of it." Will the defendants deny the orgy, or only the illegal retaliation? And will they do us all a favor and claim that, regardless what happened, the banquet tables have been cleaned and sterilized?
In a familiar story around here, a couple of Somali Muslims on their way to Saudi Arabia were detained at the Minneapolis St. Paul airport. One was an imam. (Cue Katherine Kersten.) Some questions about a mosque in Minneapolis and its rumored connection to training fighters was mentioned.
You can read the story here, but the real head-scratcher line is the following one: So in a very unThankgivingy move, I called Shelby Wednesday to tell him that I was revoking his “Honorary Black Guy” card. Long, long time ago I elevated Shelby to honorary black guy because of how well he plays basketball and because Don thinks he prepares gumbo like an old Southern black woman. (via)
The MnDaily interviews rising local songwriter Lucy Michelle and her band the Velvet Lapelles. Those unfamiliar with her and her band can hear samples of their songs on the band's MySpace Page or watch one of the many videos on YouTube. There is also Andrea Swensson's piece about them in City Pages and my own review of their CD release party on How Was the Show.
Upset with the decision by the MN Court to disallow the counting of a number of votes, the US Senate may step in and decide the election.
As we have already reported, a week ago Minnesota-born astronaut astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper accidentally let go (video) of her $100 k space tool bag. ("Disheartening," she calls it in this video.) Note the tool bag itself has become something of a minor internet celebrity, what with people filming it from their backtyard, satellites tracking it's orbit and mapping the results (via), and Minnesotans hoaxing eBay by claiming to have the bag for sale (via). What more do you want to see before we get $100k worth of entertainment out of this incident?
“"I just didn't like grote's assumption that I either can't read or deal in half truths." Welcome to …”
aliecat“Amazing Thailand sounds yummy. Too bad I don't make it to that part of Minneapolis too often these d…”
noodleman“Yes I get that Noodle. I just didn't like grote's assumption that I either can't read or deal in ha…”
Rules are Rules“Well, Rules, the original article might have been updated later with more current, more accurate inf…”
noodleman“Cool! So far I like Kristiana Parn's prints, they have a very pleasing Japanese-like emphasis on lin…”
cmc“F u g_rote. The original Star Tribune article said, "They also said there were 31 more ballots than…”
Rules are Rules“baker - I have to disagree on SuperTarget. I've been really disappointed in their grocery selection.…”
miller“conservative freakout. …”
g rote“wow! well good for you. …”
baker“We probably grocery shop 4-5 times a week also. It's only 12 block to Rainbow and 8 blocks to Cub s…”
Dougie_D“Well, I don't know if I would qualify that as being a specifically conservative freakout, but it doe…”
Max Sparber“Rules are Rules is dealing in half-truths, or perhaps should try Reading for Comprehension for Dummi…”
g rote“I work full time. 4 days in the office and 1 day at home. If I drive to work it is guarenteed I'll …”
kc!“I pick up most of my meats, breads, and vegtables at the St. Paul Farmer's Market year round. When …”
hokepoke“And every precinct would have more ballots than people who signed in due to absentee ballots. Also,…”
kc!“I loathe grocery shopping. I would rather do 10 loads of laundry and fold and put everything away t…”
norwego“Link, Rules? …”
Max Sparber“because I have no energy to go battle the crowds at the store after work, but I guess I am pretty la…”
baker“Do you work full time every day, KC? Not that it's bad if you don't, but it could possibly explain t…”
baker“this didn't happen in St. Paul, though, it happened in Maplewood. How did the rest of Maplewood vote…”
g rote“Reports are now that there are 31 more ballots than people that actually signed in at the precinct. …”
Rules are Rules“Franken's net gain was 37 votes. …”
kc!“Ramsey's really just bluer than Hennepin because it's smaller - fewer suburbs to water down the uber…”
Jeff Rosenberg“Yours. I'm still cleaning up from last weekend. …”
Max Sparber“I really like grocery shopping too. I find myself in a grocery store at least 4-5 times a week. Som…”
kc!