When we moved into the new casa last fall we realized there’d be things that needed fixing right away. For example; all of the kitchen appliances were circa 1980 and either didn’t work or only half worked.

In comes our favorite appliance store ApplianceSmart.
In the past we had used ApplicanceSmart a few times and been pleased with the quality and price.

Well, this time things started out badly and as is often the case when things start out poorly they only became worse. 

 The sales associate was hounding, which I can understand to a point since they are paid from commission, but he was new and not very knowledgeable on the products.

 Thent he lost our order, then he placed the wrong order, and finally he “upgraded” our fridge to a more expensive model for free.

Sounds good right? If only.

(more…)

I had no idea there was such a thing, much less that it’s ongoing, or that members of the same family keep winning.

It may be a fashion no-no, but Brady Arneson wears his mullet with pride.

The 3-year-old Red Wing hockey player recently took first place in the 2008 Minnesota Mullet Contest put on by Hockey Moms Magazine.

Brady’s business in the front, party in the back style is family tradition. His older brother, Blake, won the same award in 2005….

“They had that nice baby hair that we didn’t want to cut off,” [Brady and Blake’s father] Scott said. “But we’re going to cut it off pretty soon and cool him down for the summer.”

I have two things to say.

1. We all like to be good at something, but is this a competition you really take pride in winning?
2. That poor child’s parents did that to him.

Where does it stop?!

Photo courtesy of Cody Buckalew/Republican Eagle.

Every place I looked for the Citypages “UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM: Best of the Twin Cities” issue since it came out was depleted, but my co-habitator brought one home last night and I was finally able to spend a few minutes hop-scotching through it during my break at work this morning. I had a disgruntled chuckle over the winners for best places to meet singles in the area:

Best place to meet gay men: The Minneapolis Eagle/Bolt…at the bar.

Best place to meet gay women: Pi…at the bar.

Best place to meet straight men: Dave and Buster’s…at the bar/arcade.

Best place to meet straight women: Bolder Options…at a non-profit organization for mentoring at-risk teens training for running or cycling races.

What this says to me is that homosexuals and straight men all hang out at the bar. But straight men, if you’re looking for an ideal woman you won’t find her at the bar, you will find her exercising her good will and maternal instincts at a non-profit, as well as exercising her body. So BO is sure to be a goldmine of fit women who don’t party all the much. (But mentors do get together for “low-key happy hours.”)

Are these Bolder Options single women the same ones who are supposed to go to the “adult Chuck E. Cheese” to find single men? Well, I suppose a man who drinks and plays video games at the bar in his free time is the epitome of heterosexual maleness, right? No?

“Unconventional wisdom?” I’m a big fan of Citypages, but the juxtaposition of the four categories seems a bit insulting to both genders and sexualities to me. I’m going to go drown my annoyance in a nice, tall glass of 5k.

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.

Reported this morning via Twitter:

Traffic on 494 caused by banner on Xerxes overpass “Mike Ratelle: Prom? <3 Maddy”.

Okay, that’s kinda cute. But for real, you know those electronic signs that display traffic and emergency information? Just lighting up one of those that’s often dark will slow traffic down in and of itself, even if there’s no actual traffic delay or emergency. Keep moving, people!

Oh yeah, the rest of the Twitter message?

I’d like to kick Maddy’s ass.

When was the last time you used a printed phonebook for its intended use?

When was the last time you bought a phonebook? The last time you called your phone company and requested one be dropped on your front step?

Odds are, since you’re reading a “blog” right now, you haven’t done any of these three things in the last couple of years, at least.

According to the Strib:

“…85 percent of the telephone directories are dumped into the regular trash, even though it has been illegal to do so since 1992. State pollution officials call it one of Minnesota’s biggest solid-waste problems…. A 1992 Minnesota law prohibits putting phone directories in landfills or incinerators, and requires directory publishers to provide and publicize drop-off collection bins, make arrangements with recycling firms and report annually on recycling rates.”

I think the bigger issue is what’s causing the trash build-up — phone book spam.

The article goes on to talk about proposed legislation that would require each telephone directory publisher to establish a “do not receive registry,” but shouldn’t it be the other way around? The new generation isn’t ever going to use printed phonebooks that are outdated before they leave the publisher’s warehouse.

Fear not, dear readers, I have the solution…

The Internet.

Phone numbers, addresses and business directories can all be found on the Internet. It’s faster than flipping pages, can sort populated data in all sorts of format and if you have Skype, you click on the number and are connected instantly. Try to see dead trees mimic that sweet technology.

Of course, everyone has tables in need of leveling, toddlers for propping up and fireplaces that need kindling, but unless you’ve crown accustomed to your annual phonebook spam, may I suggest we dump phonebooks for good?

(photo from funkeemunkeeland’s Flickr stream)

I love how ex-UnitedHealth CEO William McGuire can’t even build a park without pulling some shady shit.

Trash Lady chimes in again on the Minneapolis Public Issues Forum to tell you everything you need to know about what to do with your plastic garbage bags. The next time I go to Ikea I’m totally buying one of those giant blue bags and then stashing it in my car.

Minneapolis City Councilmember Robert Lilligren says the reopening of Nicollet at Lake Street is a question of when, not if.

The natives are getting restless over municipal wi-fi.

About.com’s Minneapolis/St. Paul site appears to have a new guide (i.e., person who writes it). Anybody have any idea who Clara James is? Looks like a redesign in the last few months, too (it’s now web 2.0-ish). I had noticed as of the end of last year it hadn’t been updated in about a month. If you want to placeblog for pay, that was an opportunity, but I have to say that writing for About.com carries little to no street cred with me (and I hate myself a little bit for using the word “placeblog”). Just sayin’.

I’ve already gone on record saying that I think the U’s fight song is the most retardedest of retarded fight songs. Seriously. I hate it.

Bob Collins brought up the legislature’s need to address the glaring lack of a state anthem, even though that ridiculous “Hail Minnesota” is already recognized as the state song (song != anthem). According to HF2961, not enough people know that one. Because, you know, more people will be more familiar with a completely new song.

Fortunately MPR has already sent Ann Reed out on the trail. If anyone can work up a state anthem about Minnesota, it’s Ann Reed. She’s folksy like that. At least with Ann Reed you know you won’t end up with anything like this.

twin_cities - LiveJournal is a wealth of information. Where to find a divorce support group. Where to get a whole hog. Where to unload your chinchillas. Where the cheap monthly parking is in downtown St. Paul. And that’s just today!

Minnesota Monitor - Podcast from the Neighborhood Sustainability Conference held at Augsburg College. MnMon’s all multimedia and shit. Follow them on Twitter, too.

MN Daily - U receives $1.7 million in grants to tackle obesity. I’m sure all the giant food companies based in town will be watching closely.

vita.mn - Pubes! Man, people get riled up over maintenance of The Hair Down There. See also, mnspeak and Sornie. Watch the euphemisms and metaphors come out of the woodwork.

NewsCut - Bob Collins reaction to the Keillor mansion non-story is the same as mine, and better expressed.

MinnPost - David Brauer on the cesspool that is twincities.com’s comments in light of a recent public defender’s argument that “her client’s trial — for making terroristic threats against 10-year-old boy — should be moved from Ramsey County because of public comments on twincities.com, the Pioneer Press website.” Pretty good analysis of the comment mechanism at the PiPress’s site. (As of right now, zero comments on this MinnPost story.)

Minneapolis Issues Forum - On the problem of architectural theft. Happens all the time with shady contractors and is really hard to document for insurance purposes.

Can someone explain to me why Garrison Keillor buying a Summit Ave mansion makes the TC Biz Journal? Their source is the Star Tribune, but… again, in the Biz Journal?

I guess they couldn’t resolve the issue with their neighbor over the garage and so they decided to just move instead.