The first video is with none other than former WCCO weatherman and diligent Web entrepreneur Paul Douglas talking about building flexibility into a business model to capture Web 3.0 and 4.0 and some other media 101s.

It also features Eklund doing his version of Jay-walking, asking people about the media they consume, where and how.

It’s very well edited, and viewers can help dictate the next topic. Nice one @aeklund!

I empty my pockets (including cell phone and wallet minus driver’s license) immediately after parking my car at the MSP ramp. I don’t even put my belt on the morning - it goes straight into the carry on bag. All of my wires (mp3 player headphones, cell charger, laptop charger) are bundled and dispersed for easy discernment in the X-ray machine. Liquids are few and tiny in a small plastic bag.

Once in line, I untie my shoes, pop my laptop out of my briefcase and take off my suit coat. Then I wait patiently for idiot amateur travelers to figure out the simple-stupid procedure to get through security.

Inevitably, someone in front of me forgets to keep their boarding pass out, didn’t put their laptop in its own bin, didn’t realize you couldn’t bring a bottle of water through security (this happens almost every trip), didn’t put all liquids in their own plastic bag, forgets to take off shoes, forgets to take off belt and of course, is so flustered by the whole process they stress out, become exasperated at the poor TSA employees and slow up the line even further.

Well, good riddance you loser newbies.

Yesterday, MSP joined more than 24 other airports in testing a new security lane system that they (and I) hope is going to make the frequent business traveler’s life a lot easier in speeding through these checkpoints.

From the PiPress:

Self-selected security lanes for travelers, chosen by how well they think they know the security checkpoint routine, opened at MinneapolisSt. Paul International Airport’s larger Lindbergh Terminal Friday.

When the security checkpoint line was busy early Friday afternoon, Brandy Brant, a traveler from St. Louis, slipped into the “expert” lane. It’s one of three newly designated lanes among the terminal’s six security checkpoints; passengers also can opt for a “casual traveler” and “family” lane…Presumably, “experts” are frequent travelers familiar with the routine and requirements of the security system.

I’m super pumped to try this out. Now if only they could solve the problem of replenishing those plastic bins in a timely manner.

In December 2007, the FCC “gutted the rules that protect local communities from media monopolies,” and I just got this e-mail from the Free Press Action Fund urging Minnesotans to take action:

As early as tonight, the Senate will have its last chance to roll back media consolidation, and Sen. Norm Coleman and Sen. Amy Klobuchar could cast the deciding vote. All of our work to stop runaway media conglomerates could come down to your senators!

Their vote would overturn a disastrous FCC giveaway of local news outlets to Big Media. If the giveaway stands, it would open the floodgates to the type of consolidation that has allowed tycoons like Rupert Murdoch to stifle diverse voices and skew America’s political agenda…Call Sen. Coleman and Sen. Klobuchar Now.

Tell them to vote for the bipartisan “resolution of disapproval” (S.J. Res. 28), which rejects the FCC ruling. If the resolution passes, our fight will move on to the House. If it doesn’t, then Big Media gets to move into your neighborhood, gobbling up more local outlets.

I found some talking points here:

These new rules are bad for local news. Research by Free Press — a non-partisan, non-profit organization — has shown that allowing one company to own a major newspaper and TV broadcast station in a community leads to less local news overall. Additionally, we know that more consolidation leads to cuts in newsroom staff and erodes quality journalism. Read more.

These new rules are bad for people of color. Right now people of color own only 3% of broadcast media in America. The way these new rules are written, it will put these minority media owners in the cross-hairs of consolidation. They will become targets for buyouts, further diminishing the diversity of voices on the airwaves. Read more.

These new rules are bad for business. As one company amasses more media properties in a given community, it effectively gets monopoly status. By setting up advertising deals across media outlets, it becomes impossible for other small media firms to compete.

The FCC’s process has been corrupt. The FCC Chairman has consistently bucked standard procedure, ignored members of Congress and the public, and snuck through new media ownership waivers that undermine his new rule. The House is currently investigating the FCC on the grounds of bad process.

And if these kinds of topics interest you like they do me, be sure to check out the National Conference on Media Reform coming to Minneapolis this June. More info about the campaign here.

Thoughts?

UPDATE: Senate passed the bill around 8 tonight. Bush has said he will veto if House passes, as well. I guess we’ll see.

You’re no doubt familiar with this photo; the famous “Spoonbridge and Cherry” fountain-sculpture that defines our city as one that doesn’t exactly take itself seriously.

The Claes Oldenburg sculpture was commissioned by the Walker Art Center in 1985 and was installed three years later on May 9, 1988. On August 29, 2007, it was eaten in a freak walk-by assault.

I was doing some quick research and found out it was fabricated by Lippincott, Inc., North Haven, Connecticut; Merrifield-Roberts, Inc., Bristol, Rhode Island; and Paul E. Luke, Inc., East Boothbay, Maine.

It seems ironic that the piece of art that most defines our city is actually the product of a Swedish artists and three East Coast states. Do you think they’ll be sending the Spoonbridge a birthday card?

Photo from oopsilon under Flickr CC license

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.)

This week I was on four Northwest flights (New York and Chicago [and back]), and on my outbound flight to Chicago yesterday morning I heard something completely new and foreign to me during the in-flight announcements:

Something to the effect: “As part of Northwest Airlines’ commitment to the environment, we will be coming through to collect aluminum cans, newspapers and plastic for recycling…” The flight attendant read a whole little speech about it.

Apparently this is part of a bigger environmental program called EarthCares.

However, during my three other NWA flights this week, the cans and papers were thrown into the same garbage sack with all the other trash — just like always. Maybe it’s an effort in-progress.

I’ve heard that by inflation’s standard, gasoline is relatively cheap. I’ve heard that oil companies make exorbitant profits. I’ve heard oil companies make big profits because they make big investments in research and risk and are just plain big companies. I’ve heard oil markets are controlled by Middle East interests and secret societies. I’ve heard arguments about war for oil. I’ve heard oil companies pay billions to our government in taxes every year and arguments for drilling off-coast and in ANWR a way to increase oil supply.

Lots of conflicting viewpoints and philosophies, really.

Now I’m hearing about states suspending gas taxes for the summer to help the economy, and I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

According to the NYT:

…state gas taxes, which run as high as 45.5 cents a gallon, often add far more to the price of gas than the 18.4-cent federal excise tax and are the primary cause of price disparities across state lines. So lawmakers and candidates at the state level have been getting into the act…The New York plan, sponsored by Republicans in the State Senate, would suspend three state gas taxes, amounting to about 32 cents per gallon, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The Florida plan would create a tax holiday around July 4, cutting 10 cents per gallon off the 33.2 cents in total state gas taxes.

Meanwhile Minnesota just recently raised our gas tax by 5.5 cents per gallon (phased in through October) amidst a swarm of debate, emotion and fear-mongering (mostly about paying for bridges without thought of trimming pork projects). The NYT piece shows a gas holiday for the summer would save the average Minnesota driver less than $50 for the entire summer. That won’t even get two adults into Valley Fair.

It seems like we as a society continue to think in the short term and talk out of both sides of our mouths when it comes to fiscal responsibility and taxes. Here’s a piece from the Hartford Courant that address this way of thinking:

Any 9-year-old understands that paying less for something is a nice thing, but most adults know it is not always the smart thing to do. Suspending the gas tax would cause consumption to go up, which in turn would cause oil prices to go up.

The Strib’s Nick Coleman is happy to pay his taxes — even says “It is an American thing,” about our responsibility to pay gas taxes.

So in a meandering way, I think I agree with everyone. I agree gas prices are too high for my personal budget. I agree it’s our responsibility to pay taxes. I agree we need to be thinking long term about prices and not be reactionary — heck, I don’t even remember to keep 5 cent/gallon coupons.

I suppose the disconnect for me (as only a five year MN resident, mind you) is why the gas taxes in Minnesota were raised when all these other states are looking for gas tax relief and if ~$50/summer is really enough reason to bother for any state.

Of course, the gas tax increase is a done deal now, but I wish every time the local news does a story on the gas taxes (one local station seems to do a segment on each 10 o’clock newscast), they would subtract the new taxes just to make it fair to our fellow gassy states.

And I just heard snow flurries tomorrow morning.

Happy May, people.

From their email announcement:
“It all began 30 years ago, Ben & Jerry scooped up free ice cream all day to thank the community for supporting them in their first year. Now it’s an annual tradition at many of our scoop shops around the world.”

According to the site, all but two of our local B&J’s are participating (not Shakopee or MSP Airport).

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.