There’s been a bald eagle chillin’ like a villian at Lake Harriet and people can’t help but stop and stare.

I hear it’s been there everyday for the last week, go check it.

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What I’m thinking is the Northeast Holiday Boutique Crawl on Saturday. Ten boutiques, from Parc to I Like You, are participating in this day-long event. Register to win a $500 shopping spree, get 20% off purchases, you know the deal. We know we’re supposed to shop as part of our civic duty — so says the president and Anna Wintour. Why not do it locally?

(P.S. Here’s a hint. Follow Parc Boutique on Twitter for more boutique crawl incentives.)

I ran across this video around 9am yesterday morning and chose not to post it for two reasons.

1) I felt it would bring out the racial trolls and create a hostile environment.
2) There is a chance it could be staged.

That said, Citypages posted the video under the inflammatory title City Pages hosts video yanked by punks who assaulted bystanders

Which I guess in and of itself is fine, but the comments that followed spill into several racially charged uses of the “N” word and several threats of violence and gun talk.

I can understand not filtering comments to allow free speech, but all speech has a limit.

I have to admit, I was bothered by the comments to the point that I had a hard time falling asleep last night and almost got out of bed to write this post, but I thought that maybe Citypages would clean them up by morning.

So tell me, has Citypages crossed the line?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

To bring them out, they had Denard Span and Scott Baker. I’ve never actually had the chance to talk with Denard before, but he has to be one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. He took the time for some chit-chat, pictures and autographs.

I felt a little bad for Scott Baker at one point. Through the crowd noise I heard (and I’m sure Scott did too) someone say “Hey, there’s moonshot Scott”. I’m sure he wishes he had a cooler nickname than one that refers to the amount of home runs he gives up (nickname #2–Baker the home run maker). I didn’t get a chance to talk with Scott Baker though, he was busy with dozens of people trying to get an autograph–and hat’s off to him, he took the time to sign everything people gave him. Glad to have both these guys represent the team and DEFINITLY looking forward to some baseball next Spring!

Sorry I didn’t get a shot of Scott Baker with the jersey (it got crowded around the stage at that time).

I learned recently that the jazz trio will not be playing this Thanksgiving weekend.  To make matters worse, no one knows when or where they will play next.  By the way, If you have never listened to Happy Apple you should take the time to treat your soul and discover them.  

A few weeks ago I wanted to check on the details of their next show.  With no concert dates on their website or  myspace, I became deeply concerned and was in a foul mood for days.   I eventually decided to stop thinking about it and that perhaps they just hadn’t taken the time to update their websites in a while, it happens.

Then the following Friday, I saw saxophonist Michael Lewis out and about in Minneapolis.  I just had to ask him whether I was being paranoid or if in fact there were no upcoming shows.  He confirmed the latter and I returned to my sad state of mind.  

This isn’t to say the world is doomed never to hear Happy Apple live again, but simply that the group is comprised of three very busy and talented musicians with many places to go and things to do.  This Thanksgiving will not be quite as magical as it could be.

Delivering the news

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.

Not to be outdone, St. Louis Park has The Guild, and the promise of designer goodies from my favorite Lyndale resale store June and gothy, chic housewares and pretty things from Luehmann means I’ll make the jaunt to stop by. (4414 Excelsior Blvd, SLP)

Reflection

SOTC has NEMAA Fall Fine Arts Show and an interesting conversation about the light rail, Gentrification Via Light Rail.

Minnpost has a must read with the judges talking – Small-fee case explodes: Minnesota justices direct judicial anger at Pawlenty and Legislature

the most remarkable piece of the package is raucous, angry concurrence by Justice Paul Anderson. Anderson sides with Magnuson, which makes his the deciding vote in favor of the deal. The license fee is necessary for the maintenance of “a civilized society,” Anderson says. But the price he exacts for his vote is a fierce lecture about how government ought to function. He ratifies the deal, then denounces it as necessitated by the “unfortunate impasse” between Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the DFL Legislature. But “unfortunate impasse” is pale language compared to what happens when Anderson gets warmed up.

Seriously, read the entire article and the links.

Derusha has a great read on What is and what isn’t terrorism. Did you know there are 109 kinds?

Though, I don’t think cancelling interviews is one of the 109, nor is Friday the 13th, but Sanden of InTheLoop fame doesn’t need Friday the 13th or terrorism to feel the effects of a tough week.

Can we reschedule?

Well, it looks like today isn’t that unlucky for the IntheLoop’ers after all as they have a Joa Cao song going viral in Louisiana

What are you talking about?

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Twitter is a wonderful way to meet new people and often times those people can become quite close in the Social Media realm but wouldn’t it be nice to meet those people in real life?  That is what MSPTweetup was organized to be, a regular event for Twitter folks in the Twin Cities to mix and mingle at a local establishment to put faces to usernames.

The Thursday, November 14th MSPTweetup was a big success, held at the Bulldog Northeast and sponsored by IZEA’s Sponsored Tweets there was a huge turnout enjoying the tater tots and conversation.

Planned by Kareem Ahmed & David Dellanave it was one of the largest MSPTweetups. And then it happened. The special surprise guest arrived.  Dallas Mavericks owner and twitterer Mark Cuban arrived at the MSPTweetup. 

Twitpic of @kazeemy & @mcuban @bulldogne #msptweetup

@snyd043 & @mcuban @bulldogne #msptweetup

If you haven’t seen it, please take five minutes from your busy schedule and Google Reader to watch. All the S/S 2010 McQueen Gaga is sporting, including those skyscraper, gravity-defying platforms, makes it entirely worth it. 

l’etoile magazine’s Beth Hammarlund was first on my radar to respond to the Lady, adding she’d made her “manfriend” watch the vid eight times. (Kudos, dude.) Local PR powerhouse Marina Maric posted that she was “blown away” on her Facebook — my Twitter feed nearly exploded with MPLS movers and shakers offering their Gaga what-for. (For the most part, we’re obsessed with the shoes.)

What do you think of the Lady? Are you pissed she’s not stopping in the Cities on her Fame Monster tour? Would you buy a ticket if she did?