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.

I was at the Twins/Red Sox game last night. I’d also been watching the series on TV. And I’ve been to a few other games this season already.

The most conspicuous and confusing thing about all of it? All the Red Sox fans.

I went to school in Boston and came into my full interest in/appreciation of baseball while watching the 2004 ALCS/World Series (I’d liked it before, but this got me hooked), so the fact that I wore my Boston cap and my Twins jersey to the game last night was excusable. For me. (Plus I wanted to be a smartass, and I think I succeeded rather well.)

But, watching the series on TV, it sounded like the crowd was split 50/50 in who they were rooting for. I didn’t think too much of it, until I was at the game last night and fully half of the people I saw with team paraphernalia were sporting Sox gear.

And it’s wasn’t just this series that has been bringing out the Minnesota chapter of Red Sox Nation. Every game I go to, the team hat I see most often, after Twins caps and any other Minnesota sports team, is for Boston.

Is this something you’ve noticed? I can’t imagine that it’s simply because they won it all last year. Or even remnants from the 2004 happiness. But, I can’t think of any other explanation, so maybe it is.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden turns 20 this year.

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

The University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is holding it’s Auxiliary Spring Plant Sale this weekend. Hours are 9am-3pm Saturday, May 10, and 10am-3pm Sunday, May 11.

On sale for the first time ever will be three new rose bush varieties named after the Scandinavian caricatures Sven, Ole, and Lena.

According to [Arboretum Director of Operations Peter] Moe, Ole is a pale pink rose and Lena is a frilly pink and white flower, while Sven features fragrant mauve-to-violet-colored blooms.

That sounds much more enjoyable than an actual Sven and Ole joke.

Did you know that the Twin Cities has their very own Superman? If you go to any comic book event or convention, you’ve probably seen him there along with Batman, Wonder Woman, and possibly a little red-haired Robin running around. He was at the Source on Free Comic Book Day, just this past Saturday. Now, after all he’s done for us, you know, like saving the world…and….stuff…um, we can repay him by voting for him as the Official Superman of the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL. Watch his audition video and vote for Greg Carlson, the TC’s own Superman. He’s #19 at Search for Superman. While you’re there, watch the other videos, too. There’s some funny stuff. I’d link you to the official website of the Superman Celebration, but it looks like it expired a few days ago. Hopefully they’ll renew it and it won’t be sniped.

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.

• Downtown Journal - Three arrested in Downtown BASE jumping attempt. BASE jumping is illegal in Minneapolis. And most cities.
• Behind the Mortgage - Condo for sale in doomed development includes Adult Entertainment room, complete with mirrors, couches, and poles. BTM is offering a bounty for photos.
• Metro Independent Business Association - The MetroIBA members featured in City Pages’ 2008 Best of the Twin Cities.
• MPR - Rural Renewable Energy Alliance donating solar home heating systems to low-income families.
• St Paul Issues Forum - On 24-hour health clubs. The city is trying to close them down because they don’t keep a CPR-trained staff person onsite round-the-clock. This is supposedly overly restrictive and a remnant of sex-club crackdowns from the ’80s.
• 76th Street - “Does Richfield have too much senior housing but not enough affordable senior housing?” If you even have to ask…
• Longfellow Nokomis Real Estate Guide - Foreclosures in their neighborhood. There are LOTS.
• Northstar Commuter Rail - Construction begins on Coon Rapids station.
• District del Sol - This weekend’s Cinco de Mayo activities in St Paul. (pdf) The lowrider car show is Friday from 4-9 on Wabasha.

Has the rain gotten you down?

There seems to be something about this weather that is making the air equal parts glum and humidity. 

Still, on my drive home tonight I found myself thinking of sunsets.

Yesterday Cameraphone10000 captured this sunset from our yard. 

Where is your favorite place in the Twin Cities to watch a sunset?

I’ve always loved the sunsets at Lake Hiawatha Park.

What’s the first thing you notice when you read this column by Garrison Keillor?

If you’re anything like me, the first thing you notice is that it’s in the effing Chicago Tribune. This makes total sense because A) Garrison Keillor is from or has anything to do with Chicago, B) Northwest is based in or has anything to do with Chicago, C) Delta is based in or has anything to do with Chicago, D) the Tribune Company (who syndicated the article and owns the paper) is based in or has anything to do with Minnesota.

My guess is that his head is too big to tuck this in the opinion section of a Twin Cities market paper, but his prestige is too small to get it into an actual national paper.

Otherwise it’s pretty standard Keillor fare, for better or worse.

DiversityInc has slotted General Mills at #32. The General has made the list four out of the last five years. DiversityInc cites their mentoring programs, work/life programs, and extremely high employee resource group participation as the chief reasons for making the list.

As a former employee I can attest to all three. You can argue all you want about corporate diversity initiatives. I’ll say they certainly made me feel welcome there.

No other companies headquartered here made the list, but other companies with a local (non-retail) presence on the list are American Express (#10), Ernst & Young (#17), Wells Fargo (#26), Novartis Pharmaceuticals (#31), and Accenture (#38).