Secrets of the City

First! Suck it.

Grumble grumble…I’m awake. I’m AWAKE, ok?

5 more minute, mommy

anyone else stay up for the 12th inning of the Twins game last night? They should have pushed that run across in the 8th or 10th, but Morneau choked them both away (he’s hitting .227 this month, BTW). Thank god for Nicky Punto.

@grote – Judging by the number of beers on our kitchen counter this morning… my husband did.

A first-timer’s visit to the Fair, via MPR

I stayed up until the last point of the 3rd set of the US men’s volleyball match. Then I realized that there could be two more sets, I had to call it a night. Intense game, though.

I stayed up and drank. Okay, I had a sno-cone martini earlier in the evening, and much later, a small bit of vihno verde.

Minnesota On A Stick, from the Houstin Chronicle

Why is everyone talking about food when I’m so hungry? I’m going to Trieste for lunch, but not until 1:00. Ich bin hongrig!

Houston, we have a problem…with my spelling.

I have some vino verde chillin’ in my fridge, jane. Might pop the cork tonight, and make a simple cold supper to enjoy on the patio (weather permitting).

@justpbob will be happy to know that after eating sweet corn a few times this week I’ve been making quite a bit of ethanol.

Holy cow people! It is currently a 40% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. The radar is clear for hundreds of miles. Stop listening to the weather terrorists! It is going to be a nice day! (Weather permitting)

Heh, kevin.

We did a “biofuel on a stick” sctick at last year’s exhibit. Damn coupons kept falling off the stick, getting blown off tables, etc. Not one of our best ideas…

Jane…Trieste is so far away. Are you flying through Venice or Ljubljana?

Corey Anderson got my tweet. Name that meat, my sweet.

In serious news, my mom mentioned that there’s some dude going around raping people around 26th and James over North. She claims she heard it on Jason’s Station (no, really, she called it that) but I couldn’t find anything on the website (granted was looking quickly on my blackberry) anyone know what’s up or have links?

I heard it on the Fox Morning show. One woman stated the perp offered her $50, and when she refused he raped her at gunpoint.

Here’s the story from KARE-11 (sorry, Jason).

Doesn’t say that much, but I couldn’t find anything else.

This blog has some info on the Northside rapes.

was it monte hall? sorry, that was insensitve.

Thanks guys!

In other news, I’ll be uploading a pic of a poor clothing decision from the state fair after I go get my bacon from Ike’s. Stay tuned.

Here is a crime alert regarding the attacks on the north side.

Here is what was going on last night in South Mpls. I felt like I was in compton for a bit…what with the helicopter w/ spotlight… We locked our doors because we figured this guy was running around the hood.

This plus this makes me wonder what the hell the GOP really believes in.

100 miles and runnin’

Grote, I’m taking the ferry to Trieste from Piran. It’s a helluva distance to go for lunch, but man, so worth it.

As far as Barb Davis White goes, if we spend money on her we deserve to lose.

As far as the other article goes, it’s pretty clear what the chosen narrative for the Republican convention is going to be. You’d like to think they could come with something a little more, you know, outside-the-box, but what with our active policy of complete and outright racial discrimination in every facet of life possible I suppose we make it pretty easy. Plus, I heard they’re nominating a black guy. But, you know, no one’s going to play the race card or anything.

no one’s going to play the race card or anything
Nixon shuffled and dealt that deck years ago, but it seems you still have some cards left in the ‘party of Lincoln’

kwatt- but if the GOP isn’t willing to support a black candidate AND they don’t have a single black business, church or restaurant listed on the official host committee site, what is one suppose to think? That the GOP is welcoming and open to people of all races? Unlikely.

And for White’s press secretary, it wasn’t that she isn’t getting support. It is that convention doesn’t have a single black person speaking, and when asked about it, he claims he did not get an answer and was once treatened by the RNC people. And this isn’t a Democrat making these charges, it is a Republican.

Right. Because we’re always the ones making a big deal out of a person’s race. I don’t have my Big Book of Code Words handy, so please forgive me if I’ve used on in this comment.

Can we move the politics talk into the politics thread?

Remember the old days when open threads were equal to poop threads? Boy I miss those days!

Oh, I didn’t know there was a politics thread today.

I’m willing to listen to logical explanations of why blacks are seemingly being ignored by the GOP.

And to be clear, I do NOT believe the GOP is racist. I think some members may be, just as some deomcrats are, but I do think the GOP is really short sighted. This country is well on its way to being a majority minority, but the GOP is not adapting.

Non-political: my already sparse posting is about to become even rarer as I have to go back to work next week. SIGH.

sorry Max, consider it moved.

I feel like fall will be bringing a bacon revival. I for one can not wait.

Gracias.

So Sharon Jones was excellent last night. She’s really one of the most exciting stage performers I have ever seen, and the band, the Dap-Kings, are increibly tight. I worry that they might be shoehorned into some sort of soul revival category, where they treated like Dixieland jazz musicians or, I don’t know, people who play Renaissance music or Hurdy Gurdies — as some sort of historical throwback, interesting only as novelty. But Sharon Jones treats the soul explosion of the 60s and 70s as a vital, living form.

My complaint: There is a way to dance to soul music. And it’s not to do whatever stripper dance you do at Drink downtown on Saturday night, or whatever groovy, rhythmless dance you’ve been doing at raves for the past decade. Honestly, you just look ridiculous when you pull that shit out at a Sharon Jones performance. Just take 10 minutes to learn the Philly Bus Stop and you’ll be okay.

We need vid of you doing the Philly Bus Stop dance, Max.

Maybe Bixby could do a list of what Open Threads are usually all about. She is good at lists. I’ll try.

1. Poop
2. Drinks
3. Bacon (ca. May 2008 only)
4. Food
5. I’m not very good at this.
6. Thank god the political crud moved to the political thread.
7. Okay, now I’m just rambling
8. Should I get the falafel salad or the gyro salad at lunch today?
9. Gothic architecture v. Roman architecture: discuss

Gyro. Oooh that sounds good.

I’m having leftover pork tenderloin for lunch. Mmmm pig.

Anybody familiar with any of these performers?

The Abdomen, Linden, Breanne Duren, Jamestown Story, The Voice of Sleep, Alicia Wiley and Danielle Thrus.

They’re all playing at the Fine Line tonight.

What blows me away about Sharon Jones is the old school production. Sounds right out of Stax/Volt ca. 1970. Glad to hear someone still has a great appreciation for minimalist studio orchestration. And you know darn well there was little over-dubbing done, too. Gotta love that!

10. Inside jokes.

I posted the picture on my site. I would link directly to the picture in this thread but it’s giant and I would probably break the thread. It’s the “Ms. Fly Booty” picture.

I too enjoyed Sharon Jones and Dancing Leon. I don’t have any really good pictures of him in his dancing glory but my trusty photographer snapped a few.

Ask and you hall receive. Here’s me, dancing the Bus Stop:

for some reason i just watched that video 3 times in a row. well done.

The only fault I find with that video is not being able to see your magical dancing feet.

Excellent vid! Now this open thread is hopping!

Bonus points for doing your little dance barefoot, max.

U R the king of al media.

A recent trend on MNspeak:

11. Discussing the quality of a thread in the middle of the thread. Summing up and reminiscing while it is still going on.

Yay! I so win. Your vid totally made my day, Max. Merci:0).

The only thing I would say is that you need more hip.

Maybe, we need a vid Bus Stop dance off. Anyone up for taking Max on?

11. Discussing the quality of a thread in the middle of the thread. Summing up and reminiscing while it is still going on.

geez. didn’t you kids learn ANYTHING during the brief and bright apex of Kenny Rogers’ career as a recording artist?

You never count your money
when you’re sittin’ at the table,
there’ll be time enough for countin’
when the dealin’s done.

He also said, “And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.”

grote, I learned that a marvelous beard can take you places. Namely to an island in a stream.

he also said, “what did they do to my face!?!?!”

Srsly? This is what we’ve come to? Quoting Kenny Rogers?

Is this MNspeak or the seventh circle of hell?

I learned that a marvelous beard can take you places

Guys with facial hair have something they’re hiding, and it’s not physical. Guys with goatees? — they never look you straight in the eye.

i’m guessing nobody looks rat straight in the eye. window to the soul and all that.

Cat…why do you hate America?

yeah Cat? Why??? What did America do to you??

Rat – bite me and my wonderful husband’s bearded face.

I don’t hate Amerika, but MNspeak was better when there was promise of morning porn.

*throws self on floor kicking and screaming*

Oh Cat… how I wish I could find a video I used to have in my possession called “Midget goes to Hollywood”. It would take care of your birthday, Christmas and Valentines Day presents all at once.

@mb21: Sure, but too much lift will make your face look waxen and a little bit Chinese:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yWJsW5WN5Y

Oopsy.

Kenny singing “Gambler” for rugby’s Team England.

I want to see the definitive list of rat’s likes and dislikes. That way we can plan these threads better and avoid the wah wah wah wuhh debbie downer sound.

Dang, Noodleman. Don’t be bringing the Chinese into this. What did we ever do to you?

Oh Mb. The empty promises of midget vids makes my heart weep.

I learned that a marvelous beard can take you places.

Word. Willing servents will bring you anything you need. Like a plate of bacon, for instance.

Guys with facial hair have something they’re hiding, and it’s not physical.

The only thing I have been hiding is my serious man-crush on The Rat. Saw this illustration “The Fishing Rat” and thought of you…

@Cat:

95% of a beards power comes from the mustache!

True. I am losing the beard next week, but keeping the ’stache…maybe some sideburns, too, like Mauer.

I want to see the definitive list of rat’s likes and dislikes. That way we can plan these threads better and avoid the wah wah wah wuhh debbie downer sound.

Near as I can tell…likes, Republicans and the glory of an unfettered marketplace that will solve all the world’s problems.

Dislikes, pretty much everything else, particularly people enjoying themselves.

I want to see the definitive list of rat’s likes and dislikes.

OK – I’ll start:

Likes:
1. Hillary
2. Boxing as exercise

Dislikes:
1. Grunt Food
2. Primary campaign not going as planned
3. Guys with facial hair

I just found this video clip on the Colorado version of Jason’s Station, and it contains a rather shocking scene. A Coor’s brewery official encorages a reporter to take a swig of pure ethanol. That’s a remarkablly stupid thing to do — drinking ethanol at the concentration can be lethal.

Likes:

1) Fly fishing
2) ’smokers rights’

Dislikes:

1) Hipsters
2) the junior Senator from Illinois

It’s not that I dislike guys with facial hair. No. I just wouldn’t buy a used from them.

Darn. Whose going to buy my used now?

*used car. But that list isn’t exclusive

That little Fishing Rat pictured is kind of cute. I like that.

It is, isn’t it? My guess is the other rodent holding the catch of the day is supposed to be a muskrat.

*used car. But that list isn’t exclusive

Ah, but you would buy a cold beer from them, no?

So, scratch number 3 on the “dislikes” list and replace with:
3. Walking during marathons

You can add bicycles to the dislike list too.

Likes:
Conflict
Maz

Dislikes:
Logic
Reason

Ask and you hall receive. Here’s me, dancing the Bus Stop:

That’s not dancing, it’s just cleverly-staged stop motion photography. You can’t fool me with your faux dances, sparber.

You can’t…won’t get fooled again.

That’s a remarkablly stupid thing to do — drinking ethanol at the concentration can be lethal.

Is ethanol what used to be called “grain alcohol?”

If so, then it brings to mind the radio station I once worked at, oh, a long, long time ago. We used grain alcohol to clean the record and playback heads on our tape decks and cart machines. We also hosted something called “Live from the Depot” where we’d invite a band (sometimes famous; sometimes not) in to play live for an hour or so every month.

One time after finishing up a Depot performance, we discovered that two whole bottles of recently-purchased grain alcohol in our production studio were drained dry. We didn’t care so much about any jellyfied brain cell damage. Vermont had state liquor stores and those were the only place we could buy grain alcohol. The production director was very worried about the looks he would receive having to go back so soon for more hootch.

Yes, noodleman. ethanol = alcohol. Ethanol in E85 is exactly the same substance found in all beer, wine and other beverages.

“Everclear” is the best known brand. It is so potent that it is illegal in many states (but not Minnesota). The stuff that comes out of ethanol plants here is even more cocentrated –it’s E100.

They burn E100 at the Indy 500 now. Stuff burns clean and cool, but with a high octane.

Who says white boys can’t dance? Not me!

Do we know when the Dunkin is opening yet?

Somebody let me know when it does. I wouldn’t want to miss it.

From what I can tell, it is vaporware right now. They are looking for bids on franchises to expand into the Twin Cities. So, it’ll probably be at least a year before anything opens…

Curses!

I need dougnuts now! And don’t even mention Super Mom’s to me… I need Dunkin!

Re Max’s bus stop dance: OMG is that Sailor Martin sitting there?! Are you FRIENDS with him? Or was he there to pick up his hush money???

Who says white boys can’t dance? Not me!

I do, after seeing Friday night’s edition of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings at the Fair.

Yeah. When I saw her on Thursday, I suspected she was pulling people out of the audience and onto the stage to let hem humiliate themselves as dancers.