DISCLAIMER: Be careful. If you have sensitive eyes, you may not want to read this post. I drop some F bombs in here. But seriously, it’s warranted.

Basically, I don’t think I can read MinnPost any more.

You see, last weekend I was doing some late-night reading about the election on MinnPost, and the side-bar banner ad caught my eye. “Gee, the woman in this ad vaguely resembles my mother.”

Do you know why?

Because it WAS my mother.

It was really weird. I had known she was featured in print ads for the U’s Management of Technology program years ago, thought it was pretty neat, and moved on. Then I saw this ad on Saturday and it freaked me the fuck out.

But that’s not all. I read MinnPost (as well as many other news sources) for my jerb every day, and three times this week I’ve seen her there, staring back at me, telling me to clean my room from the fucking internet.

So, I’m sorry MinnPost. Your intrepid, exciting format of grassroots, community-based professional freelance journalism was genius (and a sustainable nonprofit business model!). But it has all been undone by putting my mom’s face all over your articles.

Ever wondered who owns all the TV, newspapers, radio and major news Web sites you enjoy each day?

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.

• 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.

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.

This photo uploaded on April 25, 2008 by Aaron Landry is the kind of Saturday we’re having in the Twin Cities.

Today, I know that many of you were in conference rooms all #minnpost this and #minnpost that like a *bunch of nerds, but from what I can tell the rest of the world was out and about freaking out. 

Parking lots were full, lines were super long, and it seemed everyone had to get flowers for Mothers Day Then I spent the afternoon #tilling, #planting, #**, and #carryingFurniture for @abossyFriend.

Did anyone make it to the plant sale at the Arboretum?

(*Actually, I can’t wait to hear all about it)

(#** Twitter talk:minnebar)

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.)

• twin_cities: ISO grassy metro parks for a guinea pig festival! “The grass has to be chemical free as dozens of hungry guinea pigs will be snacking on and simultaneously fertilizing it.” OMG SO KYOOT!
• MPR: College of St. Catherine to become a university. “The new name hasn’t been determined, but will include ‘St. Catherine’s’ and ‘university.’”
• Minneapolis Issues Forum: Do Idaho’s bike safety statutes make more sense?
• MinnPost: How we’re doing so far. Joel Kramer reports in on the first six months of MinnPost. “MinnPost.com has more than 100,000 absolute monthly unique visitors, as measured by Google Analytics. This makes us the most-visited local-news website in Minnesota that is not driving traffic to itself from a legacy medium, like TV, radio or print.”
• Minnesota Monitor: Congress studies wrong city for RNC disaster preparedness. “The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee found that Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center did not have sufficient capacity to handle a terrorist attack. The committee completely overlooked St. Paul’s Regions Hospital, which would be the first responder in the unlikely event of a terrorist attack on the RNC.”
• Southwest Journal: Neighborhood organizations are adjusting their fundraising strategies in preparation for the loss of NRP funding. They mention Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association; Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc.; and East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association.
• City of Minneapolis: Sustainability Initiatives
• City of St Paul: Sustainable Saint Paul
• The Deets: Ed looks at recent reports on the link between local food environments (i.e., stores/restaurants in your neighborhood) and obesity and diabetes. Ed’s theory: “The distance you drive to buy groceries effects how you shop.”

One of my biggest regrets when I moved back to the Twin Cities from Boston was the fact that I hadn’t made more of an effort to make the cheap, four hour bus ride to New York City to see a taping of the Daily Show.

Now I (and you!) have a second chance: the Daily Show is coming to the Twin Cities for the RNC in September. However:

In St. Paul, The show will be at the McNally Smith College of Music’s History Theatre, with 600 seating capacity, near the Xcel Center.

That’s right. 600 seats. So, it’s not likely you’ll be able to get in sexual-favor-free. And, if you do happen to get tickets, this is not something I’m above.

I’m not really convinced that minors are actually drinking more as I am convinced it’s being reported in the news more frequently. 

From the Star Tribune: 76 cited for underage drinking at St. Paul party
 ”Eight to 10 officers converged on the bash about 12:15 a.m. as part of the police department’s ZAP (Zero Adult Providers) program, police spokesman Peter Panos said.

Unlike the busts often carried out by the multiagency patrols near the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Saturday’s crackdown was not a spontaneous event, but a result of advance tips and planning.”  *emphasis mine.

I have a few concerns and questions on this topic. 

1) They knew about the party in advance and didn’t bust it until after midnight?

 This reeks to me of a publicity stunt and, if true, it seems reckless. It’s possible the party had just started, but that wasn’t mentioned.

2) Does anyone really think that minors are partying more today than in years past?

Metromix Twin Cities. Any minute now. Probably tomorrow (Wednesday).

The Metromix network already operates in a number of cities. I’ve always gotten the impression that it was pretty popular in Chicago and maybe in New York, but other than that hadn’t heard much about it. Metromix Twin Cities is “mixed locally” by KARE11, though it looks exactly the same as all the other Metromix sites.

The premise is it’s your go-to site for entertainment/stuff to do. They cover restaurants, bars and clubs, events, music, movies and tv. So “stuff to do” doesn’t necessarily mean “places to go.”

Content

They’ve got a calendar like everyone else, though they do highlight “Metromix Picks.” What I like here is for each event listing they’ve got a map of nearby things in various categories. So if you’re looking to go to tomorrow night’s Twins game against the White Sox or “Show us your Mussels!” at Barbette, you can see what restaurants, bars and clubs, movie theaters, shopping, and theaters are nearby. Helps you plan other aspects of your evening, maybe provides a landmark or two, might even give you that “Oh, that’s where that is!” moment.

All the movie and tv stuff is syndicated. A lot of the music stuff is as well. Nothing new and exciting there.

They have reviews of local restaurants (I like the accompanying photo galleries), “things to do” gimmicky stories, and a Suburban Spotlight feature.

The part that I hate the most is the Video/Photo section, halfway down the center of the main page. The photos are full of twenty-somethings in downtown bars like drink. And then the videos. The videos are straight out of Access Hollywood. With the cuts and the zooms and the graphics and the music and the hostess. Kill me now.

Features

Users can submit reviews of CDs, movies, and tv shows. Standard range of per-story tools like emailing, sharing via a bunch of services, bookmarking, and something called “add to playlist” which I mistakenly assumed meant you could create some sort of playlist because I first noticed it while looking at a CD review. Wrong. It just means you… make a list. Doesn’t seem to be any more to it than that. Maybe it’s your favorites list? The FAQ calls it a “social playlist” and suggests you “[b]uild your play list to match your plans for the weekend.”

Speaking of the FAQ, this part caught my eye:

Q: Do I have to sign my life away to view the site?
A: No registration is necessary to view the content on the site. Registering is only required to post written reviews and upload pictures and such. And of course you can sign up for rss feeds for up-to-date info sent directly to you.

“Sign up” for RSS feeds? I’m being nitpicky here, but that’s not quite how that works. That on top of the whole “we’re impossibly cool and we’re going to keep telling you until you believe it” vibe. Blech. Although, to their credit, there is some granularity in the RSS feeds so you can choose which content you want to receive.

Verdict

I like that it’s “Metromix Twin Cities” and not “Minneapolis” or “Minneapolis Saint Paul” or “Minneapolis-St. Paul” or whatever.

Looking at the more mature Chicago and New York sites, it looks like the TC version could evolve as content develops. The fact that it could possibly wander away a little from its cookie cutter implementation is a good thing. I’ll keep an eye on it for a little bit only because I know some of the writers.

It’s competing against SotanLIFE which has the benefit of being by the people for the people; City Pages which, crusty as it is, has been doing this for a long while; Citysearch which just plain sucks even if Molly Priesmeyer is the editor; and vita.mn which has all of the above except the obnoxious video with more original content and local flair and with strong emphasis on its user features (which are pretty cool).

A little bit of neato factor in some of the features isn’t enough to make the site as a whole compelling. They’ll be getting the hard pimpage from KARE11. They better have some seriously awesome, exclusive content to go with it.

[also see Ed Kohler’s sneak peek]