• Sunday, May 17, is Syttende Mai, Norway’s Independence Day.
• Kids from one school bus stop are biking to school together for Bike Walk to Work Week.
• Minneapolis City Councilmember Ralph Remington on the black experience in America.
• Charles Hallman of the Spokesman-Recorder, who (along with Stephen Litel from DT/SW Journal) provides the best Lynx coverage in town) previews the Lynx going into the team’s 10th season and the WNBA’s 12th season. Home opener is Sunday at 5:00 against the Detroit Shock and will be broadcast on FSN North. FanFest will be happening out on 6th Street from 2-4pm.
• Vandals damage governors’ portraits in the Capitol. Harold LeVander, Elmer Anderson, and Jesse Ventura. Colonel Mustard, in the rotunda, with a marker.
• Mary LaHammer previews her Almanac interview with Jesse Ventura. Dude’s all over the place pimping his new book.
• Sornie: “When I attend the Minnesota State Fair, I love to wander through the ‘varied industry building’ or as I refer to it as ‘people peddling crap that doesn’t deserve shelf-space at the As Seen on TV store at the Mall of America building’.” It doesn’t even matter what the rest of the post is about.
• St Paul Issues Forum is doing happy hour tonight. O’Gara’s. 5-7pm. SPIF is also looking for candidates for their executive committee. Deets at happy hour.
• My favorite Rake blog is Just Passing Through. Guest blogging by all sorts of interesting folks.

While I was working on yesterday’s roundup, I came across Metro Transit’s Bike2Benefits program.

Since I live four miles from where I work, I decided that it would probably not be nearly as bad as I imagined to commute to work on my bike. I did that for the first time today and it didn’t suck! So I was all proud of myself, but then I noticed that there are prizes involved in Bike2Benefits, so I went ahead and signed up for that.

Choose any eight-week period before Dec. 31 to start commuting by bicycle. Track your trips and mileage at this website. When you complete the program, you will automatically be entered in our year-end prize drawing. You’ll also receive a Twin Cities Bike Map (while supplies last). Once your eight weeks are over, continue tracking your commutes and you’ll be eligible for even more incentives!

Bike2Benefits is open to anyone 18 or older who lives and works in these counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott or Washington. There is no fee to participate.

Here’s how it works:

Bike/Walk Related:

• R.T. Rybak wins the Great Commuter Challenge on his bike, beating out the Ramsey County Commissioner who walked/took public transit and Roadguy who drove a car. I did not bike to work today for Bike Walk to Work Day, but I give my potential bike commute a dry run on Monday evening and may do it yet this week, since Bike Walk to Work Day is just one part of Bike Walk to Work Week.
• Minneapolis and St Paul mayors unveil community bike program. The program is called “Freewheelin” and is sponsored by insurance company Humana. “Solar-powered kiosks will be stationed throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul during the [Republican National] convention, which will be Sept. 1-4. People will be able to take bikes from these kiosks, travel anywhere and drop them off when they’re done. The only requirements will be online registration and a credit card number — not to be charged, but to hold people accountable when bikes are damaged or go missing.” 70 bikes will be left behind to continue the program after the convention and the program may expand for the following spring. IMO, going into the winter is not the best time to fire up the program, but at least it’s there.
• Cycling in the city. vita.mn on bike culture in the TC. (via east-lake)
• Bike2Benefits is a Metro Transit program somewhat similar to the commuter challenge (but focusing on biking, obviously). (via twin_cities)

The Rest:

• You know that big bronze (kind of scary) rabbit sculpture on Minnehaha Parkway at Portland? This Saturday at 10am there will be kids out there planting clay bunnies around it. Not sure why, though… (via @nxt)
• The Rake has a new Call for Artists section. Current listings are for actors for a Fringe show and exhibitions to display at various Hennepin County Library locations in Minneapolis. (via @RakeMag)
• In case you just moved here and aren’t sure what the white lights on the traffic signals are. I find it extra confusing that the white lights also blink along Hiawatha when the train is coming. Is LRT an emergency?
• Bon Iver on Pitchfork.tv (via east-lake)
• Taylor Carik = Bon Iver (I so told Taylor that months ago.) And, yeah, they do both look like every guy that hangs out at the 331 Club.
• Least Dangerous Game, everyone’s favorite Twitter hide and seek game, starts again on May 24 after its winter hiatus.
• Living on the Minnehaha Homestead has a multimedia presentation on the May Day Parade.
• Localized job boards that are not Monster/CareerBuilder/etc.
• Strib blog: “Patent Pending will provide you the latest information and commentary on the people, companies, and trends driving innovation in Minnesota. From visionary entrepreneurs to game changing technologies, this blog will offer a window into the future of Minnesota’s economy.”
• Graffiti = Killing Puppies
• Firsthand account of the immediate aftermath of an armed robbery in the parking lot of the E Lake Street Cub Foods.
• Local crazies. Fun to discuss unless they’re actually crazy.
• Best Buy sucks the big schlong.

If you happen to be around Northeast Minneapolis this weekend be prepared to see art, and lots of it. Every year NEMAA (the Northeast Arts Association) puts on Art-A-Whirl. Which is open artist studios, live music, clubs having events and more.

I will be spending most of my weekend days on 28th and Johnson Street where I will helping with the live music of Johnstock, which is the Johnson Street Merchants Associations Art-A-Whirl event. Artists booths, Live music and all the stores will be having extra stuff going on.

I haven’t found a definitive guide of all Art-A-Whirl events, but they have a listing on their website. There are also info booths in Northeast where you can pick up the Art-A-Whirl book which has everything listed and there is a map as well.

If anything just drive or bike around Northeast and you will see signs directing you to warehouses, galleries and other cool places. See you there!!

I know it’s only Monday, but I’m already thinking about next weekend. If today’s weather is any indication of the upcoming week it should be a great weekend to be outside.

Which is why this Saturday I’ll be attending the Ramsey County  Master Gardener’s plant sale in the morning and then heading over to Lake Phalen WaterFest for the early afternoon. 

A few of the WaterFest activities: On-the-water education in Wilderness Inquiry Voyageur canoes (Canoe rides!), Kid’s fishing lessons and stream monitoring, Rain garden tours,Raptors and other live animals, the Toonies Puppet Show, Native plant give-away, Powder Puff and 3M clowns and stilt walkers, and solar boat races.

Where else in town can I see raptors while getting advice on rain garden creation?

For this type of variety I’m willing to brave the clowns and stiltwalkers.

Anyone else want to go?

(Photo courtesy of cameraphone10000 / Mothers Day Sunset)

MinneBar -– one of the largest BarCamps in the world – is being held this Saturday at the University of Minnesota’s Coffman Union.

For those unfamiliar, BarCamp is an ad-hoc “unconference” — a user-generated conference that’s rich with participatory workshops, discussions, demos and more. Lots of discussion about start-ups, programming, open source and social media in talks mostly run by average people who are passionate about learning, sharing and collaborating.

This year’s schedule of events runs 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Here are just a few panel highlights: Blogging for Benjamins; This Thing called Twitter; Social Search in the Corporate Enviroment; The Mathematical Foundations of Music; Why Should I Care About Grails? Full list here.

More than 400 people have registered already. Everyone is welcome, and the event is free. More info here.

(Geek note: If you’re planning to be there and are on Twitter, be sure to use #minnebar as your hashtag and follow @minnebar for updates.)

If you were traipsing by Northrop Auditorium on the U of M campus on your way to class yesterday, perhaps you saw the camel brought in to celebrate Israel’s 60th. From The Daily website:

Gopher Israel and Hillel, the University’s Jewish student center, observed the 60th anniversary of Israel’s establishment with Israeli music, a kosher buffet, a piñata and a camel on the Northrop Auditorium patio.

According to the article, Gopher Israel received $6,000 in grants for the celebration, which was considered by some to be an “educational opportunity” for students not familiar with Israel and/or Judaism. I’m wondering what percentage of that grant money was animal care and transportation costs. A clever PR move to attract attention, but I don’t really see how a live mascot helps educate students about the Israeli nation.

New feature #1: Metblogs now features some snazzy Seesmic integration.

!!!

Seesmic is an online video sharing service. You can record video directly through Seesmic or link to videos you have posted elsewhere and share them with folks.

What that means for Metblogs is 1) authors can now post video and 2) any registered user can record a video comment in Seesmic (and you don’t need a Seesmic account to do it). Look for this button below the comment box.

!!!

Go ahead, somebody try it out.

New feature #2: Related posts. Not mindblowing, but there it is. You’ll see those at the bottom of every individual post page.

New feature #2.5: Some updates to the CSS rolled out this week, so your viewing experience should be much improved. Even my crappy Windows/IE6 combo I’m stuck with at work displays the page much better. HQ has a list of fixes, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Tonight is the Grand Opening Celebration of Slumberland Furniture in Shakopee.

But there’s something you need to know before you consider buying anything from the giant chain’s latest local franchise. They are idiots who can’t tell LEFT from RIGHT.

The following is a rant: Last weekend we purchased a new couch sectional at the new Shakopee Slumberland location. Yesterday they delivered two left sides and a center instead of a right, left and center piece. The delivery guys were clueless and told us to call the warehouse ourselves to schedule a new delivery for that right side. We did.

Then later that same evening, Slumberland Customer Service called to ask if we were satisfied with our purchase. I indicated we were not and asked when our correct piece would be delivered. With attitude, the lady on the phone said it was beyond her control, and she didn’t know anything about it. “What do you expect me to do?” she asked arrogantly. “Well, apparently nothing. You called to ask if I’m satisfied, I’ve said ‘no’ and you’re saying, ‘oh well.’” We let it go.

Today they delivered the new piece. It was the wrong side again. The delivery guys said the left side was labeled “right,” so it really wasn’t their fault.

We called Slumberland again, and the customer service agent argued that they had indeed sent us the correct side! She asked me to double-check, and we discussed the merits of left versus right (seriously).

Over the course of today, I’ve called to request to speak with the manager three times and even had my wife take of picture of the mismatched couch to show them proof. The warehouse called me twice, customer service in North Dakota called me twice, eventually the manager called.

They all have different stories about how nobody can tell the difference between their left and right hands. We’ll see what they deliver tomorrow.

We live on the left side of the street, so maybe they’re delivering our left side of the couch to the wrong house on the right side of the street.

This afternoon I came across a picture of three lads “foam fighting” in Van Cleve Park on the front page of the Minnesota Daily (you can find the slideshow on the right side of the center column under “Defining U” by clicking today’s date).

Foam fighting is a form of Live Action Role Playing in which medieval battles are simulated with foam weapons. Apparently, there are three types or organizations known as Amtgard, Belegarth, and Dagorhir. The Twin Cities Foam Fighting Club at UMN is a combination of the three, but I’m not sure if you if have to be a student to join.

However, I was able to find the Minneapolis Dagorhir “realm,” known as Frozen North. Contact Chiron, Mongoose, Fey or Drew at frozennorth@hotmail.com for more info. Be aware, there are rules. For example, according to the website, if you have been to four practices and have still not acquired medieval garb you will only be allowed one blue weapon. I’m not sure what that means, but it doesn’t sound good.

You may be chuckling, as I was, but consider your inner nerd and the fact that if this kind of playing were done on the Nintendo Wii it would be considered cool.