fresh.mn

Epic Fart Propels Eric Nigg’s Career

Erica Mauter — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:26:32 +0000

This ad by local filmmakers won the annual CareerBuilder.com contest and will be shown during the 2010 Super Bowl. (Sadly, it has also been re-filmed, so you won’t see Eric Nigg himself and that epic fart on tv… yet…)

Eric, along with a brilliant class of people from Token Media, Rascallion Media and Forrest Media produced a commercial spot for the annual Careeruilder.com Contest. The commercial is about a fart…that is lit on fire…and we spent money on it. And a responsible company of grown ups loved it! The grand prize was $100,000 and to have it air during the Super Bowl! The commercial was reshot recently and we are currently awaiting the network to approve the commercial. With all the other crap on TV, what’s one more fart joke? Thanks again to Tim Harmston, Sarah Jean Shervin, Scott Brady for making this so funny!

You’ve seen Token, Rascallion, and Forrest’s work in the Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project. As Eric revealed in his last stint on locally-produced podcast Flak Radio, he’s moving to L.A. to further his acting and standup career.

“I can’t stop now…”

Apropos, eh?

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A Dangly Pair of Red Golds

Erica Mauter — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:13:51 +0000

Okay, I got caught on a slow day and I posted the ~~viral~~ video of the CGI vines on the IDS tower. Shame on me.

Now I know that it was part of the Red Gold Tomatoes promotion that includes a billboard on I-494 by the airport. As seen at MinnPost, here’s a timelapse video of the installation of the billboard.

All I can think of when I look at that billboard is that those two tomatoes look like a pair of giant red dangly balls. With a big green vein, er, vine hanging between them.

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Found Photo: Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda

Erica Mauter — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:56:21 +0000

From the fresh.mn flickr pool.

Originally uploaded by Croixboy.

Coincidentally, this photo appeared in the group pool the day after I visited the Minnesota State Capitol for the first time. I was playing tourist with my visiting sister. We caught the last tour of the year to include a stop on the roof to see the gilded quadriga.

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Parry Hotter and the Half-Drunk Twins

Erica Mauter — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:25:35 +0000

Parry Hotter & the Half-Drunk Twins sold out nearly every show at this year’s Fringe Festival. If you missed your chance and are wondering what the hype was all about, you can catch Parry Hotter playing at ComedySportz on Nov 6 and Nov 13.

The ComedySportz Theater is proud to play host to the 2009 Minnesota Fringe Festival Favorite: Parry Hotter & the Half-Drunk Twins! This one-man show parodies the entirety of the Harry Potter series in one hour, using only one actor. Local comedian and ComedySportz player, Tom Reed, plays an array of characters, sings spoof songs, stirs in references to current events and generally cracks wise about the idiosyncratic Harry Potter universe in this grown-up-oriented show. The end product is a hilarious, smart, musical parody of everyone’s favorite boy-wizard tale!

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT: Two shows only November 6 & 13 @ 10:30 PM
Tickets are $12 / $10 with Fringe Button or Student ID
This show is recommended for ages 17 +

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LRT Bike Trail Safety, or Lack Thereof

Erica Mauter — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:38:52 +0000

Brian at east-lake points to a great TC Daily Planet article about safety issues on the Hiawatha/LRT bike trail that connects the Greenway to downtown.

As Brian pointed out, obviously the easiest fix is to get some more lights up. That Bob Gibbons of Metro Transit says that traffic lights and train lights and the Cabooze’s parking lot lights and the watchful eye of train operators passing by at 40 mph make it plenty safe is ridiculous. I mean, they help, but clearly there are still really dark sections of that trail. In fact, they might hurt a little because as you pass in and out of dark and lit areas, it’s hard as the rider for your eyes to adjust.

Sounds like the Met Council, Hennepin County, and the City of Minneapolis aren’t exactly in alignment over who should be responsible for upgrades. The Met Council happens to own this trail, but it’s typically the city or county’s responsibility to maintain a bike trail.

I’m thinking the trail could use a branding effort to go with its new lights. How do you give directions or find your way (thus encouraging further usage of the trail) if you can’t name the path when you’re talking to someone about it? That’s a tangential issue, though.

There’s an interesting tidbit in there about cyclists riding dark, (i.e., without their lights on) on the trail so would-be attackers can’t see them coming as well. For one, you’re required by law to have lights on when it’s dark out. For two, if you’re that concerned why not hop on the train for that stretch? I’m sure there are issues about having to actually wait for the train and pay to get on the train, but isn’t it worth it for your safety? Somebody tell me what I’m missing.

UPDATE: Last night, Devin at Twin Cities Streets for People grabbed his video camera and biked the length of the trail to see just how dark it was. He started under the Sabo bridge and ended in Cedar-Riverside.

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Election Day 2009

Erica Mauter — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:22:13 +0000

Lots of Instant Runoff Voting (aka Ranked Choice Voting) excitement. Minneapolis is implementing IRV/RCV for the first time. St Paul is voting on whether or not to implement it.

Obligatory find your polling place link.

So, did you vote today? Weigh in on the poll below.

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

I will confess, since the only election in Eden Prairie today is for school board, I skipped. (I know!)

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Roundup: 30 Oct 09

Erica Mauter — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:27:46 +0000

The Minnesota Budget Project (whose Minnesota Budget Bites blog is a really fascinating read for lay people like myself, by the way) sums up the tax changes in the 2009 legislative session. It’s longish, but in an easy-to-read format with headlines, bullets, tables, etc. You can easily skim for the part you’re most interested in.
The Longfellow and Nokomis Real Estate Blog lists the Halloween celebrations happening at the Minneapolis parks in that neighborhood.
MPLS Mirror reports on the state’s Oct 9-22 Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign. The Mirror did not cite their source, so I’m assuming this came in an email from someplace official and is available somewhere publicly. There were a grand total of 244 citations state-wide. At $25 a pop, that’s $6100 in revenue for the state, not including any potential court and administrative fees. There’s also this statistic, though: “In the last three years (2006–2008) in Hennepin County, 102 motorists died — 40 were unbelted — and another 585 were seriously injured. The estimated economic impact of unbelted deaths and serious injuries in Hennepin County during this period was $53,499,500.” Surely it’s about the cost savings and not the paltry revenue from tickets issued. Is it worth it? Is it working?
As of this morning, 2nd Ave N in downtown Minneapolis has converted from one-way to two-way. That change was related to Target Field cutting off a portion of 3rd Ave N. For further info on traffic plans for downtown Minneapolis, see TransformingMinneapolis.org.
City of Lakes Urbanism has photos of pre-revenue service (i.e., practice) on the Northstar commuter rail line and the extension of the Hiawatha LRT line.

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Found Photo: Autumn, Loring Park style

Erica Mauter — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:03:30 +0000

From the fresh.mn flickr pool.

Originally uploaded by waiting_line.

I know it’s been dreary, but I, for one, am enjoying the fact that it’s still warm enough to be raining.

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Minnesota Ends Tax Reciprocity Agreement with Wisconsin

Erica Mauter — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:37:11 +0000

From Minnesota Budget Bites:

The Governor’s unallotment plan includes an additional $106 million in tax revenues in FY 2010-11 by asking the State of Wisconsin to reimburse the State of Minnesota sooner under an existing reciprocity agreement. Under the current reciprocity agreement, Wisconsin residents who work in Minnesota file their state income taxes in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin remits those taxes to Minnesota after a 17 month delay.

So it speeds up payments that are already due, and then it cuts off the deal as of January 1, 2010. If you live in one state and work in the other, you’ll have to file state income taxes in both states for 2010. Your 2009 tax returns are not affected.

I thought that Governors Pawlenty and Doyle were looking into joint Wisconsin-Minnesota procurement so that we could save money on some infrastructure type stuff. Does this mean that’s off the table? I understand they’re probably separate processes, but this comes off as bad faith to me.

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Two Opportunities for Affordable Time with Pro Photographers

Erica Mauter — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:19:36 +0000

First up, this Saturday (Oct 31), Jenn Barnett is doing another Pay What You Can Portrait Day. 4-7 pm on the Stone Arch Bridge.

Bring: Yourself, your kid, your pet, your theater troupe, costume, your favorite pair of shoes, your 1973 superbeetle, your ducati, your surfboard, your ukulele, your lint collection — whatever you want photographed! It doesn’t have to be a person! You can get something photographed for an art piece to hang on your wall. Love coffee? Maybe a nice abstract print of some beans, or a latte?

I will make some art for your walls, your desk, your purse, your lampshade, anything you want to put a photograph on or in. Pay what you can or what you think it’s worth. Suggested contribution is $50 but any amount will do.

You get around 10 to 15 minutes of my time and talent along with 1 8×10 or 2 5×7’s. Bring a friend that does their own session and you each get and extra 8×10 or 2 more 5×7’s. Get some of your holiday shopping done early! Grandma would love a photo of her little guy or girl dressed as Balloon Boy this Halloween!

Next up (but you might want to call NOW), Becca Dilley’s doing Portrait with a Heart, in which you get a complimentary portrait session ($125 value) with your donation in any amount to the Leukemia-Lymphoma society. She’s got some openings on Saturday/Sunday, Nov 7/8.

The session will last approximately 30-45 minutes on location, usually at a public park or your home. Online print ordering available. Sessions available on a first come/first serve basis. Session times available October 31 & November 1 in Madison, WI or November 7 & 8 in Minneapolis, MN. Regular portrait pricing applies for prints, albums, products, or high resolution images. Receive a CD of full resolution images from your session with a donation of $200 or more.

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Powderhorn Empty Bowls, Nov 6

Erica Mauter — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:27:21 +0000

The 2009 Powderhorn Empty Bowls event will be November 6 at the Powderhorn Park Building.

Friday, November 6, 2009
11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Powderhorn Park Building
3400 15th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Pick out a handmade bowl, make a free-will donation, enjoy homemade soup and leave with your bowl — now empty — a reminder that there are bowls that need filling in our neighborhood… and that you’ve done something to help fill them!

The proceeds will benefit the food shelf at the Division of Indian Work, our neighbor at 10th Ave. and Lake St., Sisters Camelot, and the Powderhorn Park kitchen upgrade.

At their website, you can see photos from past events, sign up to volunteer, or get on their email list.

(via east-lake)

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Found Photos: Inanimate Objects Wearing Hats

Erica Mauter — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:49:07 +0000

From the fresh.mn flickr pool.

All gourds $5.

Originally uploaded by swirlspice.

Even infrastructure gets cold.

Originally uploaded by swirlspice.

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Devoured: Barebones Productions 2009 Halloween Show

Erica Mauter — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:24:27 +0000

Okay, this looks pretty cool, and I don’t even like Halloween.

Barebones Productions, purveyor of “Outdoor Puppetry and Performance Art Spectacles,” is putting on a Halloween show called Devoured.

Details:

Saturday, Oct 24 · Sunday, Oct 25 · Friday, Oct 30 · Saturday, Oct 31
7pm at Hidden Falls Park (North Gate) · 1305 Mississippi River Blvd S, St. Paul
.8 miles south of Ford Parkway Bridge
For more info, contact Emily: 651-592-7867 · emily@bedlamtheatre.org
No Tickets: Donation requested after each show ($5 – $20 suggested · cash or check only)

What’s it all about:

Enter a world were Julia Childs gives us some handy tips for embalming and the afterlife.

Follow a headless chicken into the belly of a giant wolf to discover stilters descending from trees, fire performers bringing you the larger-than-life Egyptian god of the dead, and your own heart burning, burning, burning.

Featuring a live, 35-piece orchestra performing an original score.

Come dressed in red and ready for dead.

A collaborative musing on how and when we accept death in our lives.

See Barebones for more info, like what happens if it rains, what to expect, every Halloween show they’ve done since 1995, and what kind of production prep and volunteer power has gone into this event. Also, photos.

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Found Photo: Yep, it’s Autumn

Erica Mauter — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:56:55 +0000

From the fresh.mn flickr pool.

This photo says “chilly and foreboding in a strangely attractive way” to me, which is about how I was feeling about the early-arriving late-autumn weather prior to this last weekend’s sunshine. Except that we’re heading right back into it.

Originally uploaded by smoen photography.

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WCCO’s 4th Bloginar, Oct 27

Erica Mauter — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:14:38 +0000

WCCO is hosting the next bloginar. Well, they always host, but this one is actually on the premises at WCCO studios. The TinyURL guy is the featured guest. And these two tidbits:

Plus, get a special sneak peek at a new WCCO online project called “The Wire.”

Limited spaces are open for a station tour at 4:30 p.m. with a visit to the live “JasonCam” in the WCCO newsroom.

Make sure you RSVP. (RSVP required to take the tour.)

UPDATED: David Erickson has a preview of The Wire.

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