Minneapolis Metblogs » minn_nate

Liquor anyone?

minn_nate — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 12:31:33 +0000

Seeing as I work with a liquor store, we have many perks. One of them is to attend the trade shows that happen during the fall season. This is a time for you to go to a large building and drink just about everything the company has to offer. This is a free event, and you really don’t have to do anything special to get in. There isn’t really tight security or anything. If you were to show and and say you worked for Haskel’s, they would more than likely let you in. I have had numerous friends of mine show up to these things without me and they never had any trouble getting in.

So, what do you do at these things? Eat and drink. Simple as that. For me, it is a chance to taste all the wine that I can in a short amount of time. Now some of you may be saying “Um, Nate, you can’t drink a ton and then expect to drive home.” You would be right. here are many places for you to spit out what you are drinking instead of swallow it. Total alcohol abuse, I know, but very necessary. I am going to one tonight. By the end of the evening I will have tried about 75 to 100 hundred wines and other alcoholic beverages. Without spitting, I would have passed out around 45 small cups of liquid. Some people get absolutely hammered, though. That is the other perk. People watching is sometimes even better than going out to the clubs at night. Nothing like watching people who think they are more sophisticated getting drunk and stupid. Good times…

Banks are dumb…

minn_nate — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 22:21:38 +0000

When I was looking for a cool new bank ages ago, I decided upon TCF Bank. They were locally started, gave away cool prizes to new customers, and there a lot around were I frequented. I really hadn’t had that much trouble with them until recently. I have now been without a check card for two months. I have called and requested they send me one THREE TIMES!! Each time something different happened. he last time they just never put the order through!! I even got a notice in the mail telling me it was on its way, but it never showed up. Of course, they could do nothing to speed a card to me. They said all they could do was try again. Also, they had no idea how any of this could have happened.

So, I am in the market for a great new bank. Anyone have any suggestions? I would recommend NOT using TCF ever again.

Uptown still uncomfortable…

minn_nate — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 21:54:09 +0000

How come it is so hard to get a decent art house film movie theater in the Twin Cities? I spent a couple of hours at the Uptown theater again last night. I saw Little Miss Sunshine (TERRIFIC movie, by the way) and spent most of the movie trying to get comfortable. I moved from my original seat because it was broken. The second one was only marginally better. For charging a whopping $8.75 for a ticket, they sure have uncomfortable seats. Also, the picture was being shown on a screen too small for the film. The top of the film was VISIBLY showing on the black matte they had above the screen. Not even just a little, but a sizable chunk of it. Good thing the movie was good, or else I would have been way too distracted.

Now, I am very picky about my movie experience. I am sure that most of the general public wouldn’t get mad about stuff like that. For me, I would rather wait until the movie goes to another theater. Take for instance, AMC Southdale. Although, I saw a movie there on Sunday and found out they raised their ticket prices to $9!!! It’s like we are New York or something…

Did someone explode?

minn_nate — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 05:27:52 +0000

As I was driving over to a friends house today, I noticed a peculiar amount of litter on 94 eastbound. I saw two shoes, a shirt and some pants strewn all over the freeway. My immediate conclusion is that someone blew up. I only thought this because it made me laugh. On the other hand, it got me thinking. Is it just me, or is there a large amount of trash that has been showing up lately on our highways and roads? I see EVERYTHING laying on the side of the road. I even have seen a frickin’ desk chair!! Do people really loose stuff from the backs of their pick-ups and not notice it? Just curious…

Feelin’ Fringy…

minn_nate — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 15:50:29 +0000

I saw two really good shows at the Fringe Festival yesterday.

“Tape” is a play about two long time freinds meeting up in Lansing, Michigan. One of them has an agenda involving another old friend. Let’s just say the agenda is kind of malicious. This was also made into a movie with Ethan Hawke. This shortened version is absolutely wonderful. There are only three characters so it remains a nice, tight little tale about redemption. All three of the actors turn in stellar performances. They only have one performance left (Friday @ 10:00 PM) at the Rarig Center on the U of M campus. This is a show not to miss.

“Google: The Musical” takes place in the future where Google is all powerful and then decided to leave. Chaos ensues all over the world. At times wildly wacky, other times incredibly touching, this play lightly takes on our obsession with technolgy. Great music and a stand out performance by Haley Chaimberlan as the lead character. They still have three more performances, so it would be worth your while to see it. It is locally written, like most shows are for the Fringe. But this one just seems to shine a little bit abouve the others. Loved it!!

Art Fair wasn’t bad…

minn_nate — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 13:20:49 +0000

I know I haven’t been that much of a fan of the Uptown Art Fair in the past. As a matter of fact, I think I said I downright hated it before. This year didn’t seem to be as bad. I think the whole scene of the art fair has completely changed over from what it used to be. Or more importantly, it has realized what it was all along and finally started just BEING that. It is more of a “fair” than “art”, by that I mean the booze and eats on sale. Plus all the art work has gotten much better over the past few years. Prices were still sky high, but I guess that doesn’t bother me as much. I played ComedySportz which is right in Calhoun Square and I never really had a problem with parking this year. I guess A LOT of people took the bus (which was mentioned in an earlier post) and that made the traffic in Uptown practically bearable.

So I am almost a convert. I’m still not sold on the whole idea, but it was a much more enjoyable experience that it has been in the past. I mean, I even walked around a bit and looked at stuff. That was something I hadn’t done in years…

Do I need a Lemon-Lime injection?

minn_nate — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 16:02:19 +0000

Has anyone seen those freaked out new Sprite commercials? You know, the ones were an ambulance shows up and little japanese women come out to shock this girls face with lemon and lime. Then a couple of people dressed as lemons and limes smush a guy. It was so weird I don’t even remember all that actually happened.

It got me thinking though about how advertising has to try and reach a HUGE range of people. I’m not just talking about age ranges, but geographically as well. I mean, People who live in the midwest tend to be different from people who live on the coasts. We often times have different view points, social tendancies, etc. So companies that make advertisments for big companies have to try and come up with an ad that will apeal to ALL of us. How hard would that be? I knwo of a few commercials that were filmed and written here in Twin Cities. I tend to like those better. I’m not talking about low budget local ones (like that darned Watson’s commercial), I’m talking the few national Best Buy or Target ads that get done here. So maybe our mindset as midwesterners makes us think different than an east coaster or a westcoaster…

Of course there is the question of movies. The type of comedy or drama that appears in a movie is usually universally bad or good no matter where it shows in the contry. But then or course, they have a lot longer time to set things up. Commercials are only a snipet. Hmm…I guess I might just be thinking about things too hard. What does everyone else think?

Only one more weekend?!?! Holy crap!!!

minn_nate — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 21:49:01 +0000

Yup, this is the last weekend to catch the critically acclaimed new show in town called “LIVELIHOOD”. It IS really good and not just because I am in it. Even though the critics have praised my acting skills :) Please come this weekend. You won’t regret it.

Livelihood
@ The Old Arizona (2821 Nicollete Ave. S Minneapolis)
Thurs, Fri, and Sat @ 8:00 PM
$15/$10 with a student ID (even if it is expired)

Tell the box office person that Nate said you get a two for one and you will get TWO TICKETS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!!!

I just noticed…

minn_nate — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 21:46:58 +0000

…Twin Cities Metroblog has passed the 1000 posts mark!!! Woo hoo on us!! Thanks to everyone for reading this and keeping it going…

Wanna be in a movie?

minn_nate — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 21:24:23 +0000

If you don’t remember I am in a movie filming here called Icebreaker. It is a romantic comedy about dating that is actually pretty funny. Many of the scenes take place in a bar. The bar we have chosen is Brothers in downtown Minneapolis. What we are in need of is TONS of extras to fill the place up. You won’t get paid, but you will be fed. You can sign up for one, two, or as many of the days as you want. My scene will be filmed next Saturday, July 29th, so you should for sure try and come to that so you can watch me do my thing :)

If you are at all interested, you should go to the website and click on the link “Wanna Be In a Movie?” right at the top of the page. I would love to see all of your pretty faces at the bar. It should be a blast. OH!!! I forgot to mention…your name will be listed in the credits at the end of the movie. I’m sure you will be invited to the first screening as well. What fun!!