Bob CollinsPeeking at Twins fans, when people do good, the house that started the foreclosure freeze, an artist swept up in a graffiti crackdown, and cartoon wars.
Welcome to your Friday. I’ll have a News Cut Quiz later today. I promise.
1) TWINS TAGGING
Major League Baseball has just posted highly-detailed images of the crowd at Target Field — and other stadiums in the baseball playoffs– and is inviting people to “tag” themselves or their friends on Facebook. Here’s game one at Target Field against the team that must not be named.
There are opportunities to play “pick or scratch?”.
A better view: Sgt. Adam Sniffen hasn’t missed a target in over 800 jumps out of airplanes. Last weekend, he jumped into a football stadium in Michigan to deliver the game ball.
2) WHEN PEOPLE DO GOOD
The last few days in the Twin Cities have brought a string of horrific and depressing news. Kudos to the Star Tribune for pushing this one near the top. St. Paul honored 18 people who dropped whatever they were doing to help someone not become one of those horrific and depressing stories.
Like the bouncer who kept a guy from killing himself:
After a few more beers, Johnnie stumbled out the door into the freezing weather. Chessier followed him after noticing he was heading the opposite direction of his home. By the time he reached him, Johnnie had climbed over a 10-foot fence on North Earl Street’s I-94 overpass and was hanging on with two fingers.
Chessier, who weighs 280, said being a bouncer requires physical strength, negotiation skills and lots of patience. He used all of those skills that night.
3) THE HOUSE THAT STARTED IT ALL
How did the country come to know that banks were foreclosing on people without even looking at the documents to be sure they were supposed to foreclose on people? One small home in Maine, one expert who switched sides, and a lot of luck.
The tragedy of foreclosure is that some homeowners may be able to stay where they are if their lenders are more interested in modification than eviction. Without a job, Mrs. Bradbury is not one of them. Her family, including her 14-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son, lives on welfare and food stamps.
“A lot of people say we just want a free ride,” Mrs. Bradbury said. “That’s not it. I’ve worked since I was 14. I’m not lazy. I’m just trying to keep us together. If we lost the house, my family would have to break up.”
Why is this such a big deal? Because it’s against the law:
“When Stephan says in an affidavit that he has personal knowledge of the facts stated in his affidavits, he doesn’t. When he says that he has custody and control of the loan documents, he doesn’t. When he says that he is attaching ‘a true and accurate’ copy of a note or a mortgage, he has no idea if that is so, because he does not look at the exhibits. When he makes any other statement of fact, he has no idea if it is true. When the notary says that Stephan appeared before him or her, he didn’t.”
4) INSERT YOUR OWN NEW YORK JOKE HERE
An artist in New York put paper up on a wall outside to paint her watercolor paintings rather than spend the nice day inside. She was handcuffed and taken away for graffiti and is stuck in no-common-sense hell. “I was doing this in the middle of the afternoon with a thousand people around,” she says. “Why would I have done this if I thought it was illegal?”
In Duluth, meanwhile, painters are trying to capture the remnants of the industrial age before they rust away. They’re not being hassled by police.
5) CARTOON WARS
Remember this from earlier this month?
The battle has been joined anew:
Bonus: A not-so-funny thing happened to David Rakoff when he was writing a book in defense of pessimism and melancholy. So he made it funny.
The Twins, the Vikings and the Gophers have all disappointed their fans lately, and revelations about Brett Favre’s personal life have tarnished his image. When sports figures perform poorly, on or off the field, how does it affect you?
WHAT WE’RE DOING
We’re in a membership drive!
Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: Rebroadcast of an interview with Rosanne Cash.
Second hour: A look back at several live performances from Studio M.
Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – Both hours: Playwright and storyteller Kevin Kling spins some tales about families, baseball, and being Minnesotan. Kling spoke this summer at the Maplewood Library as part of the Club Book program.
Science Friday (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: Robotic cars.
Second hour: A talk with psychiatrist Julie Holland, editor of “the Pot Book: A complete Guide to Cannabis.”
