Bob CollinsThe sum of Minnesota’s parts, art and the oil spill, a kindergarten brawl, bridge-jumping in Mankato, and art imitates soccer.
1) This is the weekend for News Cut’s 3rd annual A Weekend in the Life of Minnesota effort. As described on yesterday’s 5×8, I’m looking for your contributions of photographs that describe a slice of the weekend in Minnesota. We’re a great state, because we’re made up of great parts. I’m not necessarily looking for scenery, I’m looking for how you experience a moment in the weekend. Maybe it’s running for cover from a shower at the big airshow in St. Cloud, or fixing a leaky barn roof in Sleep Eye, helping pick up the tornadic mess in Wadena, selling a pie outside the department store in Marshall, taking care of patients because you’re a nurse in St. Paul, or watching the Pride parade in Minneapolis. All of these things taken together paint a portrait of who we are and what we’re about.
The parking lot at the News Cut World Headquarters is pretty sparse on Fridays, so we’ll consider that the weekend includes today. Send your photo via this form, e-mail it to me at bcollins@mpr.org, or post it Flickr with a newscut tag.
Be sure to include a good description with your photo to describe it and why you’ve chosen it as a good example of a weekend in Minnesota.
I put 2009’s pictures on yesterday’s 5×8. Here is 2008:
We’ve got a lot more readers now, so we should be getting some good submissions. Be sure to check back over the weekend to see the latest.
2) I’ve posted a few of the comedy bits that have come out of the Gulf oil spill. Today: Some of the art:
In the gulf today, we’ve got a new crisis. Some fishermen are defying the ban on fishing, and sneaking fish into the market anyway. Bootleg fish. What wine goes with crude?
More environmental news: Climate change is creating more space chunk. The cooling of the upper atmosphere is making it take longer for dead satellites and space junk to fall out of orbit.
3) It’s still early but we’re pretty sure we’ve got the News Cut Losers of the Week: Parents who got into a brawl at a kindergarten graduation.
4) Art imitates Soccer:
5) If the cops in Mankato can figure out if it’s against the law, jumping off the North Star bridge could bring charges against a couple of kids there. The Mankato Free Press Reports:
“We had friends in a boat in case one of us got knocked out,” (Al) Hermel said from the deck of the bridge while two buddies idled in a watercraft below.
The daring duo said they wore lifejackets to take their plunge into the murky but warm river and had checked its depth before they leaped.
“We’re not frickin’ idiots. We just like to have a good time,”(Zevlin) Olson said.
That would’ve made an interesting image for A Weekend in the Life of Minnesota.
Which brings us to today’s featured video:
Kids, don’t try this at home, especially if you don’t have a bridge or a river in your home.
TODAY’S QUESTION
Peter Sagal and Carl Kasell are doing their show from Minnesota this week. In honor of “Wait Wait,” write a news limerick.
WHAT WE’RE DOING
Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: The term “do-it-yourself” once was the purview of home repair gurus or a subculture of crafty trendsetters. But thanks to the Internet and the recession, it’s creating a viable livelihood for artisans and novices alike.
Second hour: Radio funnymen Peter Sagal and Carl Kasell, host and judge of the popular NPR game show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”, join Midmorning live in studio.
Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – First hour:
A discussion with William Hogeland, author of “Declaration: The Nine Tumultuous Weeks When America Became Independent. May-July 4,1776.”
Second hour On the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War, an American RadioWorks documentary, “Korea: The Unfinished War.”
Science Friday (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: Building working lungs in the lab. How far off are human organs, built to order?
Second hour: A look at the science of inhaled medical marijuana. Can smoking pot be good for your health?
All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) – Gabby’s is a popular nightspot for African Americans. But it looks like it will be sold and go away. When it does, it will join a list of nightclubs that catered to black customers that have closed. MPR’s Brandt Williams will talk about troubles at the bar, and get a historical perspective on the openings and closings of black nightclubs in the Twin Cities.
Prince is getting a lifetime achievement award from BET on Sunday. The prodigal purple one is also residing in Minnesota once again. Chris Roberts looks at Prince’s relationship with his home state and the pull each exerts on the other.
Legislation on Gov. Pawlenty’s desk would require the state to create statewide physical education standards. Why does the state need PE standards? Senior Gym Class Reporter Tom Weber has the answer.
