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.

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?

After some back and forth with David and the @tasteofmn folks on Twitter tonight, I finally jumped on my computer to check out the site and band line-up. Why?

Well, they built their Web site in flash, and it won’t load on my Blackberry Bold, which is my primary surfing device. Strike 1.

And although the band line-up does feature Judas Priest and Whitesnake, they aren’t enough for me to make the trek out of the burbs. Strike 2.

And I discover you have to PAY TO GET IN this year. Strike 3.

That’s it. I’m not going this year.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love Taste of Minnesota (see posts from 2006, 2007).

I used to live in downtown St. Paul where I could see the evening fireworks from my balcony. We would walk over every evening, listen to the awesome classic rock bands (Kansas, Deep Purple, Charlie Daniels, Alice Cooper) and get raped on 8-ticket juicy lucys. Some nights my wife and I would split something, spending less than $10 total. But some nights I myself wouldn’t spend any money — instead just enjoying the festival, people and festivities while our friends blew their wallets on fried things and powdered thats and super expensive beer and lemonade. We went every night one year and have gone multiple nights every year.

But this year, going multiple nights will be pricey up front, and despite the recession, my wife and I would have to pay $20 (plus parking and gas, mind you) just to get in the gates. Festival organizers say they need to charge an entrance fee to keep out the riff-raff, justifying it by saying visitors will get $10 in food tickets and they only charge after 3 p.m. If you ask me, 3 p.m. is a looooong time before the 8:30 headliner time.

Personally, I don’t like them forcing you to buy food tickets and think it will severely limit their turnout far beyond the riff-raff their hoping to keep out. That’s too bad for local bands like Quietdrive, The 757s and Throw the Fight (whose lead singer is battling cancer, and I believe this is their first show back).

What do you think? Will a family of four over the age of 12 really shell out $40 just to get in the gates? Will the entrance fee keep you away?

If you’re feeling overtaxed and underrepresented these days, you may want to gather at the Capitol steps on May 2nd around 2 p.m. for the 2009 Annual Tax Cut Rally, sponsored by The Taxpayers League, Minnesota Majority and KTLK.

Here’s an invitation from Jason Lewis.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekN7GS5-4SE[/youtube]

More details here and highlights from last year here.

Can’t wait until May? The local Tax Day Tea Party event in Minnesota is at the Capitol at 5 p.m. on April 15.

Are you headed to SXSW Interactive (March 13-12), Film (March 13-21) or Music (March 18-22)?

Leave a note in the comments and let’s schedule some meet-ups.

The Minneapolis Metblog is having an open call for authors. If you’re a blogger looking for a wider audience, or simply have a desire to write about what’s happening in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, keep reading:

The qualifications:

1. You need to live in or near the Twin Cities metro area. Metblogs is all about the city from the perspective of people who live here.
2. An ability and willingness to post at least three times a week. You’ve seen our stuff, so you know an entry could simply be a pic, a review of your pizza joint or a rant about how idiotic our public transportation is.
3. A desire to cover topics you’re passionate about. We’re looking for unique voices and to more broadly represent the city.
4. Be a team player. Authors here don’t always agree with each other, but we’re supportive of each other’s contributions.

Besides the wide audience, the best part of Metblogs is the editorial process: there is none. As long as what you write is about Minneapolis-Saint Paul or something specifically relevant to MSP readers, it qualifies. Otherwise, we’re a sandbox for writers to play in, create their own columns and write the stuff they wish existed.

This is an unpaid gig, but you have the opportunity to have your stuff read by our fabulous Minneapolitans on a daily basis. Vloggers, photographers, community journalists, gripers and anyone else with a desire to write about Minneapolis is encouraged to apply.

While already having a blog doesn’t hurt, especially to demonstrate your ability to post frequently, it’s far from a requirement.

If interested, send me an e-mail (with “Minneapolis Metblog” in the subject), telling us briefly about yourself, blog link (if you have one) and what type of topics you’d like to cover. Blog on, people. Blog on.

UPDATE: We have new authors – woot.

I’m a huge fan of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, especially the parades and the ice carving (see 2006, 2007, 2008)

This Saturday, be sure to check out the King Boreas Grande Day Parade, which starts at 2 p.m. at East 4th Street at Broadway. The parade then travels down East 4th Street, turns at Washington Avenue at Rice Park and ends at 5th Street & Cedar Avenue.

Bundle up. Dunn Bros has hot chocolate and a restroom, but be prepared to wait in line for both.

More info on the events here.

Spend a lot of time at MSP (like me)? Have a frequent route or preferred destination?

Check out these customized shirts from Hubwear. Your outbound flight is on the front and your return flight is on the back.

I imagine self-labeling yourself with flights can come in handy if 1) you’re in a deadly plane crash and rescuers want to know where you were headed, or 2) if you experience a long layover or weather delay, thus notifying your airport lounge waitress which flight you’re missing whilst slumped over your suitcase, passed out from your third Kentucky Kamikaze.

I’m not sure it’s worth $35, but if you don’t have the patience for CafePress customization or are looking for a Valentine’s Gift for that special traveler in your life, go for it.

(via Erica, whose route is MSP-DTW)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiZD6fO6mos[/youtube]
UFO footage starts at 1:20.

How was your Thanksgiving?

I took last Wednesday off and spent the day with my family. After proclaiming the day Epic Wednesday “the last shopping day before Thanksgiving” we set out on our adventures.

 Scheduled for the evening was a trip to see the holiday lights in Phalen Park. It’s a drive along Lake Phalen that’s decorated by lights,joy,cheer, and corporate sponsorship.

From the Eastside Review,

For 37 nights starting Nov. 25, families will be able to drive a half-mile course within Phalen Park and view 43 different displays illuminated by LED lights, such as ice castles with snowdrift peaks, soldiers with horns, Santa Claus in a North Pole truck, and a tunnel of lights.

Sightseers will pay a vehicle entrance fee of $8 Sunday through Thursday and $10 on Friday and Saturday or holidays.

IF YOU GO:
What: Holiday Lights in the Park
Where: 1615 Phalen Drive East
When: Daily holiday tours are from 5:30-10 p.m. from Nov. 25-Dec. 31.

The profits go to to Second Harvest Heartland, Union Gospel Mission, the St. Paul Parks Conservancy Fund and UnderConstruction.  

The lights were pretty cool, but sadly my child node cried the entire ride. None the less, I only have two laments.

 1) It would have been nicer with snow. 2) We should have stopped at the cookie and hot cocoa stand near the entrance. I misheard directions. Live and learn. Or dare I say, that’s how the cookie crumbles?

So if you like holidays,charities, and festive lighting you should check it out.

More info:
Lights in the Park
For the brave, some video I shot and barely produced.