Does anyone else think there are way to many condo building being built? There are numerous plans for condos along the Mississippi, four new condo buildings underway in Uptown, and at least one new condo building in the Warehouse District. Those are the only ones I am aware of, but I’m sure there is more. With the housing situation leveling out like it has been, it could spell bad news for all these new buildings. They are going to have to sell them pretty darn cheap to get people to buy them. There is ALREADY a glut in the market for them. What is weird is people ARE buying them, and quickly. I want to know if this is housing people are buying from outside the state, or are there a huge amount of houses that are on the market right now? Either way, if we keep building condos at the rate we are, it could spell disaster for EVERYONE. I feel like our house won’t sell as high if someone can go get a condo for cheap. That would REALLY suck.

What do other people think about this?

We need to give a nice hearty welcome to Metroblog’s two newest cities. Go on and say hello!!

Go to Dublin!!

Go to Denver!!

These two new cities really beef up our “D” city category. I am happy to report that us “M” cities still have the lead. Good luck teams!!

So I’ve spent more time in the Minneapolis airport traveling for work lately than doing anything of note around town. That’s given me time to compare MSP to others, and I have to say that the MSP airport is one of the nicer and more accessible airports around.

The food choices are pretty good, there are moving sidewalks AND a tram, the staff is all very courteous and the size is just about right. Besides TGI Friday’s and Chili’s for sit-down options, there’s a Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery opening soon, too. The Web site says “MSP’s Northstar Crossing is a collection of 106 retail shops and restaurants,” and while that may be a stretch, it’s definitely not a bad place for a layover.

Makes me yearn for the days when anyone could walk down to the terminals and hang out, although the prices are a bit too steep to warrant a special trip.

Don’t yet know what to do for Valentine’s Day? Don’t have a date like me and want to see something that is humorus and will make you happy you aren’t dating someone? Well come on down to St. Paul and see the third annual production of “Love Bites”. This short play festival will take place at the 4th Street Theater on the corner of Roberts and 4th St. It begins at 7:30 PM and only costs $10!!

I am in one of the short plays. It is about a man who believes there is REALLY an audience watching him in his apartment. Good times. There are even almost nude boobies in it. There now I got a few of the guys interested. Maybe even a few of the ladies. Hope to see some of you there!!

I’ve started an informal social club in the Twin Cities, for GLBT folk and their friends, centered around having an alternative to just going out to the bars every week. Our first event is tomorrow at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts to see their new exhibit on loan from the Louvre. The idea behind the club is to get together once or twice a month to do things that hopefully will broaden people’s horizons. Future events will be things like going to the orchestra, literary readings, theater, foreign and independent film, and whatever else people might suggest. I know it sounds kind of hoity toity. But part of the idea is that lots of people may want to go to such events, but not know anyone else who is interested in going. Now, there will be a forum for people to get together and plan to go to the museum, the gallery, the theater. Right now, I have a group page set up at MySpace to post announcements about events, like our inaugural event tomorrow.

If anyone is interested in coming along, we’re meeting between 12:30 and 1 underneath the Sunburst sculpture in the entryway of the MIA.

Behind the Mortgage is sponsoring a contest.

Here’s the deal: Come up with a catchy, edgy, “urbany” name for a new condo conversion in the Whittier Neighborhood in South Minneapolis. The winner, which we’ll choose from the entries, will own a brand-new 2GB iPod Nano. Runner up/honorable mentions will receive a $25.00 gift card from Starbucks or Home Depot.

They can’t tell you where it is, exactly. Only that it’s in Whittier near Eat Street and MCAD. More details at BTM. You have until Feb 21 to enter. In case you’re looking for an idea of what not to do, check out some of the submissions so far.

Nate, your previous entry on junk mail, was apparently post #666. Great topic for it. Although I believe religious scholars recently discovered that the number of the beast is actually 616. I wonder what post that was.

Has anyone been as slammed with junk mail as much as I have? I don’t mean the electronic kind, either. I mean the stupid ads and flyers that come and clutter up my mail box at home. It seems there has been a lot more of it than there used to be. Is it really even that effective? I mean, I would much rather get ads in my email box. Not that I really WANT ads at all, but I would prefer they save a frickin’ tree and email me. Although, seeing ads come in paper form is kind of jarring. I keep thinking that some day people will realize that sending pointless junk mail really doesn’t help out the business as much as it should. So, when I see ads still show up, I actually look at them to see what could possibly be so interesting. I never take much notice, but I do look at them. So maybe they DO work. Ug…I just talked myself in a circle. I’ll stop now…

So yeah, starting to go a little stir-crazy with the chilly weather, and I’ve been trying to think of things to do on my weekends other than hole up in my apartment and watch hours and hours of teevee. I think I need to get some nature or culture in my life. Too much artificial reality is eating my brain, I’m afraid.

I’ve been thinking of driving out to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Anyone been there recently? Is it still interesting in the winter? I see they have some orchid seminars coming up. Those might be good. I guess what I want to know is, is it still worth the drive? I’ve been there on field trips in high school, but that was over a decade ago. Yipes.

I also want to re-visit the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Their collection, as I remember it from taking an art history class there, is expansive and also free. Anyone been recently?

Any other suggestions for creative things to do around town that are warm and inside and yet outside the realm of staying home?

The Flaming Film Festival is now soliciting entries for its 2006 film festival. We didn’t have a TC LGBT International Film Festival last year, but the FFF was on and their doing it again this year, with expanded coverage to help make up for the lack of the other festival.

The following is from Lisa Ganser, the director of the 2006 Flaming Film Festival:

We are currently accepting submissions of feature-length and short
film/videos by, about, or of interest to queers, lesbians, gay men,
bisexuals, and transgendered persons for the FLAMING FILM FESTIVAL 2006: The
6th Minneapolis, MN Transgender, Queer, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Gender
Queer Film Festival, May 26th - May 30th.

FINAL DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 20, 2006

we have specialized in underground, music videos, experimental, sexplicit,
non-narrative and queer youth screenings. we still will do that… - this
year, with the absence of the Twin Cities International LGBT Festival (on
hiatus), we are broadening our programming to appeal to a wider audience.
we are looking for shorts and feature length films.

especially movies that have not made it to the twin cities yet. we
accomodate filmmakers each year, with hospitality and festival passes. we
want your movies!

there is no submission fee. please label pre-screening NTSC VHS tapes/dvds
clearly with your name, running time, title and contact information. please
send your entries to

Lisa Ganser
Flaming Film Festival
1710 - 2nd Avenue S suite 2
Minneapolis, MN 55403

we will host a number of movies and bands throughout minneapolis including
free screenings for youth at District 202, our cities’ queer youth center.

we look forward to hearing from you.

Lisa Ganser
filmmaker, artist, odd jobs
Flaming Film Festival Director
http://www.flamingfilmfestival.com
http://www.myspace.com/lisaganser
cell 612.839.3189

Flaming Film Festival coming to the Twin Cities May 26th - May 30th. Find
out how YOU can submit movies, volunteer and support the festival today!