Image uploaded by JustaCoolCat

While out for a morning bike ride I stopped and talked to this fellow biker who was delivering the paper.

He was a bit shy about having his pic taken “I can get off the bike. You don’t want a picture with an ugly old man in it” he offered which I rebuffed with “I don’t think you’re ugly, at all.”

We had a little chat about about biking: bike commuting, adult trikes, winter biking, tires and tire width and tire pressure and optimal tires for different conditions; turns out he bike commuted to work for twenty years.

Now in retirement he’s delivering the paper.

Sympatico.

If you like Football you’ve heard of the Two Jet Aggie Spread Right

I like football.

And beer.

I asked for some beer pics yesterday and @Best_day_ever decided to play along.

It’s good to see some people still like to have fun on the Internet, drink beer, and steal a football win within the last seconds of the game. TD!

Cheers.

Football!!!!!

This picture uploaded on July 22, 2009 by Tony Cachaca of two fellas sitting on a couch on Eat Street is pure rock and roll.

It’s like that song sitting on a leaning couch. Wait no, not that song.

Anyway, here’s Slug kicking a drunk out of First Avenue.

What’s in your shuffle?

Local crooner Dave Pirner said “nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd” and I’m pretty sure the lyrics were inspired by puppies.

These lab/shepherd/chow mix darlings are hanging out on the cornerof McKnight and Larpenteur, today and tomorrow, looking for a good home.

I like puppies.

Do you like puppies?

Uploaded on June 21, 2009
by manyhighways @ 2009 MSRA “Back to the Fifties” Car Show

Do you know what goes really well with music? Cool old cars.

I don’t have any shows to see this weekend, but I bought a ton of Cd’s last night at Half Priced Books. So I guess I’ll be ripping them to disk and dumping’em on my iPod Bombadil.

Heard and good local music lately?
I hear the new Vampire Hands release is superb, which I don’t doubt for a second. It’s my opinion they are the best “vampire” band out there, and that other vampire band that was so popular on 89.3 . . . well I’m not going to even mention their name.

Here’s Vampire Hands with Safe Word.

What are you listening to?

*Saturday Morning Update*Ways to get live and local this evening, Tim Mahoney will be rocking the 5:00 PM slot at St. Anthony Village Fest (FREE!) and the Unknown Prophets will be laying it down later in the eve at the 501 (FREE?) (I think so)

Or spend a little money and get artsy at the Fringe Festival [ #MNFRINGE ] or perhaps help the Common Room “bust through gallery stereotypes” at The Soap Factory.

So much to do. Rock on.

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(Roots pics I took last Summer.Though, I hear when they were in town recently they dazed and amazed as usual. )

Time to get back to the Roots.

I’ll be heading back to Northern Minnesota to where it all began, for me, and doing a bunch of outdoors stuff that would make the most hipster metrosexuals cut their hair with a switchblade into a faux-granola style.

Mostly we’ll be listening to the sound of the wind blowing majestically through the pines as the loons sing their lonely North Woods cowboy song, yada yada. So if you hear about some people in the BWCA having iPod boombox wars with the loons, you’ll know who.

What are you listening to?

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A night under the big top.

Last night I went to see the latest Cirque du Soleil production, Kooza.

Here’s what the media says about cirque du soleil kooza.

Here’s what the Kooza press release says.

About KOOZA
KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions; acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.

“KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” says the show’s writer and director David Shiner. “The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too. As it evolves we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power.”

It’s all true.

Now here’s what I say.

The show starts with an MC heckling the people arriving ontime/almost late.

Then the chaos breaks out, which luckily happened right in front of our front and center seats ( second section up.)

Then things became more crazy with excitement and the ensueing madness. Perhaps you know the type of madness for which I speak, a chase scene, some magic, kites, large burly dudes with finely emboidered cod pieces, a mischevious puppetmaster clown called The Trickster that twirled-jumped-dance and taunted (excellent dancer). Then there were two female writhing contortionists that did some super appropriate things together with twisting and bending and such. At one point one, one lifted her special parts off the ground with her head,flipped over while lowering her face to the ground, and then proceeded to somehow get her legs to run circles around her stationary head. I’m pretty sure by the third or fourth pass she had married the entire tent, or at least dated us with noble intentions.

Ofcourse there were things balanced on other things balanced on people balanced on people balanced on various objects.

Also there were the acts. You know like a dude on the unicycle doing crazy things while his female campanion was like a scarf that somehow twirrled and whirrled around his neck like a human hula hoop.

Also the Burger King was there. I’m pretty sure he was in charge, dude is very kingly and he has a sweet taser and some great sidekicks. Also he slaps people with meat. What more can you ask of a king?

Did I mention the band?
They were like if Manu Chao had a baby with Portishead and System of a Down had a baby with Groove Armada and those two musical children grew up and . . . I forget the rest, but you get the point; Trip Hop Samba Grunge.

My advice to everyone is to arrive a little early because the curtains are closed ontime and if you’re late you’ll have to wait.

My advice for the production is to speed up ticket line times (we waited in a short line for 20+ minutes) and to offer a single family picture from one of your roving photogs for $10.
Currently they offer two packages,where it’s all the same pic,for $35 or $20 for a single pic. That just seems like too much money.

My advice to parents is be prepared to cover a child’s ears during the super loud moments, make sure potty breaks are taken care of (for-extra-real), and be prepared to leave at intermission if necessary as the 8pm show runs a teensy late for a school night.

My advice to the cast and crew is let’s party, hit me up on Twitter. Seriously.

My advice to all is to go see Cirque du Soleil Kooza, especially while there are promo prices. You can Enter for a chance to win tickets or take advantage of special promo pricing.

Cirque du Soleil Kooza makes for a great evening and runs until August 2, 2009. The wife and I loved the show and my child experienced every emotion from amazement to total amazement.

Check it out.

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The Strib has an editorial taking a supporting position for cameras in Minnesota courtrooms.

This newspaper has long been an advocate of opening most courtrooms, at every level, to video broadcasting. We welcome recent word from two quarters about new support for efforts to crack the old bar to public scrutiny of the courts via video cameras.

I suppose in this day and age of COPS, Homeland Security USA, Jail, and Court TV that I shouldn’t be suprised by a bigger push for cameras in the courtroom. Here is some interesting history on the topic.

What do you think?

Feel free to discuss the pros/cons in the comment section and I promise I won’t make a tv show out of your responses.

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A few weekends back I wailed into the void searching for a some music to see locally and Splink of Radio Clandestino answered.

So we headed over to Varsity Theater in Dinkytown to catch Adam Franklin (of Swervedriver) & Bolts of Melody opening for The Church.

What can I say? This show blew my doors off.

Guitar, guitar, and more guitar?
Yes, please.

The skinny:
Venue: The Varsity Theater = Awesome. Really becoming one of my favorite venues.
Adam Franklin & the Bolts of Melody:Trippy. These guys were mushroom teaified.
The Church: Whoa. Guitar driven mayhem that will built into a cresendo of rock and roll back into a wall of acid-rock-esque sound. Add amazing drumming, polished musicianship ,and Aussie energy; well, then you’ve got yourself a Rock and Roll show. Check out their latest Untitled #23 here’s a B&N site with some previews. Check out Space Saviour or Lunar

Photo Sets:
Adam Franklin & The Bolts of Melody
The Church

I suggest you see either band or both bands if they’re anywhere near your city as they both put on quite a show. Tea, optional.

Special thanks to The Varsity Theater and those crazy cats at Sue Mclean & Associates

It’s Independence Day Weekend, so keep it safe, pause for the cause, remember the reason for the season, and rock on.

What are you listening to?

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As of today Minnesota residents can fish free in most state parks!

The exemption allows state park visitors to take fish without a license when shore fishing or wading on state-owned land within a state park. All limits and special regulations in effect for the body of water still apply.

Fishing without a license from a boat or float is allowed only on bodies of water that are completely inside a state park. The exemption does not apply on bodies of water where a trout stamp is required.

I just bought my license and a couple of hundo worth of gear, so I’m set, but I hope this gives some people that otherwise wouldn’t enjoy our state parks incentive to go fishing.

If it’s good enough for Bing and Louis, it’s good enough for me.