Secrets of the City

There seem to be a lot of children falling out of windows lately. Jason, you’ve covered this before — wasn’t there a law recently passed that was supposed to address this?

Good lord Jesus! Watch children to keep them from falling out of windows. That’ll work better than making a law about it.

Kids with names like Destiny are far more likely to launch themselves through window screens due to parental inattention than kids with other, umm, traditional names.

Oy, let the kvetching about MN drivers and the lack of attention to public transit begin.

But what I really want to know is if it’s really that much of a surprise that a snack with “Booty” in its name, however tasty, is unsanitary?

I’m more concerned with the Wally the Steer’s right to free speech being violated by the iron first of local authorities, especially so near the 4th of July!

It’s an outrage, and I suggest Wally respond with civil disobedience and organized protest.

In other words, more cowbell!

Maybe the road situation explains why Minneapolis is second only to crunchy Portlandianites in number of bicycle commuters per capita.

I’m going to fill up my coffee, throw on some clothes, wake up the wife, and then join that 2.4% right now.

I was expecting something a lot weirder based on your WCCO headline, Max. I am happy for the child and her father. That was a close thing.

I’m also thinking that Sayin’ doesn’t have any kids.

I think sayin’ was commenting more on the parenting styles of those who give their children names like Destiny (I was about to say stripper names like Destiny) rather than insulting the kids themselves.

I’m sure Destiny is an poor urban minority, too. So that increases her chances of falling out of windows.

Bullshit.

It seems like the trouble is that a lot of screens are not installed very well, and toddlers tend to hold themselves up with their hands, and so if they press against badly installed screens, they fall out the window.

I think Sayin’ has been reading Freakanomics, which posits that children with names like Destiny are going to tend to be lower income, and therefore are more likely to live in apartments with cheaply installed screens.

Err, “iron fist” rather.

Of course, sayin’ had to go ahead and blame the parents.

Yeah, I got that. But without knowing more of the facts in the case, I’d want to be very cautious before insinuating neglect on behalf of the father.

Probably a good thing to check things like screens if you have a toddler.

Oh, I don’t have kids. I don’t know anything.

PULSE just demonstates that online only publications cannot sustain themselves. Say what you want about the Star Tribune or Pioneer Press, but it takes money to cover the Twin Cities effectively.

These websites just comment on news and articles that others have written. I see very little actual journalism.

You nailed it, Latoka. There certainly is some original journalism on the web, and it will surely increase as the medium grows beyond the toddler/adolescent stage.

Talking Points Memo is a good example. Josh Marshall asked his readers to contribute toward hiring staff, and now he has a three- or four-person team doing original reporting.

There are also many solo bloggers, such as Glenn Greenwald, who dig deep into key issues based on their specialized knowledge of certain topics.

But for general coverage of the daily life of a community — and even of a state or, indeed, the nation — newspapers still drive everything. And under the current economic model of the Internet, they can’t successfully charge for content, and they can’t charge much for ads.

Nobody seems to have the answer — I sure don’t. As my name suggests, I saw the bus heading into the ditch and jumped off.

tap-tap-tappety-tap
tap-tap-tappety-tap

that’s the sound of me dancing on Pulse’s grave

good riddance…..the music and arts coverage was always great, but Ed Felien is now reaping his nasty karma for all the sickening things he’s printed over the years…and for the lousy way he’s treated his employees

The last kid out the window story I covered… a mom left her older son in a room with her 15-month-old son. She went to vacuum. It happens so quickly.

There is a new law. But it only affects newly constructed homes and apartments. Maybe Kevin can link the actual bill.

I notice that from Jason’s report, the mother of Peddie (not sure I heard that or spelled it right, Jason) and Ella observed: “if it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone.”

Yes, bad things can happen to the children of good parents. And yes, there are neglectful parents out there too. But it’s among the sharpest and cruelest accusations to level and not one I would make lightly or slyly unless I was sure of my facts. Even if no one got hurt.

Just sayin’.

As a toddler, one of my cousins fell through the floor of the second floor of their house through the ceiling into the first floor during some home remodeling. She has a nice normal name and good parents. My brother pulled a pan off the stove and almost doused himself with bacon grease. He has a nice normal name and good parents too. Kids have accidents all the time. It doesn’t mean they have bad parents.

I thought Josie’s comment was going to say, “As a toddler, I’ve fallen through many a window…”

My son is in the room with me right now. I’m looking the other way, typing. If we had a bad screen– he could be pushing it out right now.

He’s not.

At any rate, I think I’m an OK parent. There’s no reason for screens to be made so cheaply. And I probably should install those screen guard things.

Ha!

Is he rocking out?

i have a 2yr old. let him play alone in the other room? sure. leave him alone on the 2nd floor? not a chance.

Cute! A mini-me version of JD.

My son is in the room with me right now. I’m looking the other way, typing. If we had a bad screen– he could be pushing it out right now.

don’t you live in a rambler?

PULSE just demonstates that online only publications cannot sustain themselves. Say what you want about the Star Tribune or Pioneer Press, but it takes money to cover the Twin Cities effectively.

Well, it’s possible that an online publication that wasn’t managed by a crazy man would do a better job of making a go of it…

Still, it sucks that the site’s going dark; I’ve been using some articles I wrote for them as sample links for job applications, now I guess I’ll have to quit that.

Anyway, my point is, it’s easy to blame the parents. And sure, there’s some parental responsibility. But parents could use some help, too. Like home builders installing safer screens.

yea, being a parent is hard. it’s almost like you have to watch your kid all the time.

Leave the parents out of this! I blame the blamers. They’re always so eager to pass the buck.

Are any other folks who’ve lived elsewhere puzzled by this “bad traffic” report? Sure, our transport infrastructure has been crumbling over the last few years and this new work on 35W makes us more congested, but other cities that leave you stuck FAR LONGER, like DC or Chicago, aren’t on these guys’ top five?

I regularly drive during Friday rush hours from NE Minneapolis to Richfield, taking 35W. In the thickest it’s been I’ve had a 40 minute drive. (And note that rush hour here is maybe between 4:20-5:20.)

Worst in the nation? Give me a break.

That “study” was done by the Reason Foundation which is funded by the petroleum industry.

They’re also global warming skeptics.

If it were possible to “build your way out of congestion” (pour more concrete) L.A. would be the least congested city in the nation.

That “study” was done by the Reason Foundation which is funded by the petroleum industry. They’re also global warming skeptics.

Thanks, Ken. I heard that Dandy Don raised the same red flags on WCCO last night.

He then neatly folded one of the red flags into a neacktie and demonstrated the Pratt/Shelby knot. The other red flag he deftly transformed into a scale model of the I-35E “unweave the weave” project.

The final red flag he stuffed into his trousers, loudly shouting to his shocked co-workers, “I have a gopher in my pocket! Do you want to know what his name is?”

It’s official. Adios Pulse.

Minneapolis Police have issued a statement that an MCAD graduate student was found murdered in her apartment in the 2400 block of 1st Avenue. The discovery was made around 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 28th, 2007. For those of you unfamiliar with the neighborhood, the 2400 block of 1st Avenue is one block west of Stevens Avenue.

The victims name has not been released, and the police are not providing any more details about the crime at this time. I will share more information with you about the incident as I receive it. You can also check local news outlets to get updates.