#Minneapolis River Walk

[wonderlesch]

Amazing Travel Adventures - Minnesota

Amazing Travel Adventures - Minnesota shares travel destination for lovers of hiking, learning, singing and much more. Start planning your next Minnesota getaway. Let's travel Minnesota Style! #newblogpostalert #thingstodoinminnesota #wonderlesch

Hello and welcome to my latest travel destination guide Amazing Travel Adventures – Minnesota. This blog post shares must see and must do adventures Minnesota style. Read on to explore Gooseberry State Park with its upper, middle and lower waterfalls (each waterfall has its own beauty and its own vibe). Learn about Iona’s Singing Beach (I’m a fan of singing beaches, black sand beaches, and well,…

[clairity-org]

Nicollet Island Silver Railroad Bridge, Minneapolis 7/29/23 by Sharon Mollerus

[hometoursandotherstuff]

I cannot believe that no one bought this elegant little gem of an 1877 2nd Empire townhouse in Minneapolis, MN. It's decorated in grand Baroque style, has 1bd, 2ba, 1,799 sq ft, $989k + $1,029mo. HOA. Maybe it's priced too high? Zillow says it's worth about $935k. The high HOA fee could also be a factor.

Come on, now. NOBODY expects the Baroque Townhouse! Look at the entrance- got some gothic doors, architectural salvage light fixture from a church, and what could be better than a wine rack where you can grab a bottle as soon as you walk thru the door? It also looks like a mini bar. What a way to greet guests.

They really did a lot of work on this place. That's why I think it's priced at almost $1m. The woodwork, alone, is incredible. Look at the delightful dining room that looks like it's under an arbor.

Stone wall with niches. Antique chandelier.

This is a sitting room fit for a queen.

Different areas of the home are done in different styles. The ornate sitting room is Baroque with a massive fireplace and chandeliers.

The custom kitchen has a Frenchy flair and it also has an Aga stove (big bucks) with a mosaic backsplash. Look at the flowers painted on the counters.

You can see the pantry on the left, plus plenty storage in the cabinetry, and another mosaic backsplash behind the sink.

There's a copper ceiling over the dining area. This is an eat-kitchen so you can enjoy it every day. View from the windows looks out toward the city.

Beautiful, cozy den has a door to the garden. Gorgeous wainscoting, wood ceiling, brick wall w/shelves, and stained glass windows.

Your guests get to use this fabulous powder room with an intricately carved sink topped by a marble counter, gold swan faucet, and a cut crystal bowl for a sink.

Down the hall is an Asian-inspired full bath with a carved black marble tub and a huge dragon head faucet.

Look at that thing. Then, right across, behind folding doors, they've got a convenient laundry room.

Check out the pattern of the marble in the shower.

Large bath has a beautifully painted chest-turned-sink, and a private water closet.

The magnificent entrance to the bath is guarded by foo dogs.

The bedroom decor ties in with the theme of the bath.

The doorway to the bath is in the bedroom. The walls look like a teahouse.

The stairs have murals and carved doors. The home has 3 levels and I can't discern what floors the rooms are on, b/c as usual, the real estate photos are completely mixed up.

Impeccably maintained garages.

I wish they would've shown the sunrooms and rooftop terraces. Look at the glass structures on the roof.

That's the Mississippi River going by. The home is actually on a little island called Nicollet Island.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8-Grove-St-8B-Minneapolis-MN-55401/1913645_zpid/?

[pamietniko]

walking along the Mississippi River

Minneapolis, Minnesota

[cinemaocd]

So I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Mississippi runs through this city and I have a friend who had visited maybe half a dozen times, spent a total of like 45 days in Minnesota without realizing the river we'd driven over dozens of times was the Mississippi.

Yesterday I found out, our Australian friend who has lived here for FIVE YEARS didn't know it was the Mississippi River. We're walking over the river bridge with him and his dad and he points out, "dad, that's the Hudson River." lol...

[louisupdates]

FITFWT23: OUTRO SONGS

NORTH AMERICA

26 May - Mohegan Sun Arena, UNCASVILLE CT: The Best, by Tina Turner

27 May - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, GUILFORD NH: This Charming Man, by The Smiths

29 May - Place Bell, LAVAL QC: Downtown, by Petula Clark

30 May - Budweiser Stage, TORONTO ON: Summer of 69, by Bryan Adams

1 Jun - Blossom Music Center, CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH: Bittersweet Symphony, by Verve

2 Jun - Michigan Lottery Amphitheater, STERLING HEIGHTS, MI: Chasing Rainbows, by Shed Seven

3 Jun - The Icon Festival Stage, CINCINNATI: All These Things That I’ve Done, by The Killers

6 Jun - Kemba Live! Outdoor, COLUMBUS OH: The One I Love, by REM

7 Jun - TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park, INDIANAPOLIS: Love Will Tear Us Apart, by Joy Division

9 Jun - Saint Louis Music Park, SAINT LOUIS: Johnny B. Goode, by Chuck Berry

10 Jun - Starlight Theatre, KANSAS CITY MO: Moondance, by Van Morrison

13 Jun - BMO Pavilion, MILWAUKEE: I Can See Clearly Now, by Johnny Nash

15 Jun - Huntington Bank Pavilion, CHICAGO: September, by Earth, Wind, and Fire

16 Jun - The Armory, MINNEAPOLIS: Nothing Compares 2 U, by Sinéad O’Connor

17 Jun - Harrah’s Stir Cove, COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA: Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've?) by Buzzcocks

19 Jun - Denny Sanford Premiere Center, SIOUX FALLS, SD: American Pie, by Don McLean

21 Jun - Red Rocks Amphitheatre, MORRISON, CO 😪

24 Jun - Wamu Theater, SEATTLE: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, by The Smiths

26 Jun - Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Center, VANCOUVER BC: King Of Pain, by The Police

27 Jun - Mcmenamins Edgefield Concerts, TROUTDALE OR: Always On My Mind, by Elvis Presley

29 Jun - The Greek Theatre, BERKELEY CA: Never Tear Us Apart, by INXS

30 Jun - The Hollywood Bowl, LOS ANGELES: California Love by 2Pac ft Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman

1 Jul - The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, LAS VEGAS: Human, by The Killers

3 Jul - Arizona Financial Theatre, PHOENIX: Liberator, by Spear of Destiny

6 Jul - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, IRVING TX: Hello, I Love You, by The Doors

7 Jul - Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, AUSTIN TX: Teenage Dirtbag, by Wheatus

8 Jul - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, THE WOODLANDS TX: Walking On The Moon, by The Police

11 Jul - St. Augustine Amphitheatre, ST. AUGUSTINE FL: Every Breath You Take, by The Police

13 Jul - Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, HOLLYWOOD FL: Your Song, by Elton John

14 Jul - Yuengling Center, TAMPA FL: Hit Me With Your Best Shot, by Pat Benatar

15 Jul - Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park, ATLANTA: You Can’t Always Get What You Want, by The Rolling Stones

18 Jul - Ascend Amphitheater, NASHVILLE: Hold Back The Rain, by Duran Duran

19 Jul - Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, CHARLOTTE NC: Perfect Day, by Lou Reed

21 Jul - Red Hat Amphitheater, RALEIGH NC: Moondance, by Van Morrison

22 Jul - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD: Easy, by The Commodores

24 Jul - MGM Music Hall at Fenway, BOSTON: More Than A Feeling, by Boston

25 Jul - MGM Music Hall at Fenway, BOSTON: Here Comes Your Man, by The Pixies

27 Jul - TD Pavilion at the Mann, PHILADELPHIA: Nothing Compares 2 U, by Sinead O’Connor

28 Jul - Stone Pony Summer Stage, ASBURY PARK NJ: Dancing In The Dark, by Bruce Springsteen

29 Jul - Forrest Hills Stadium, NEW YORK: We Are The Champions, by Queen

Away From Home Festival 2023

19 Aug - Parco BussolaDomani, Lido di Camaiore: We Are The Champions, by Queen

EUROPE

29 Aug - Barclays Arena, HAMBURG: Love Will Tear Us Apart, by Joy Division

31 Aug - Royal Arena, COPENHAGEN: Under Pressure, by Queen and David Bowie

1 Sep - Spektrum, OSLO: Wake Me Up When September Ends, by Green Day

2 Sep - Hovet, STOCKHOLM: Seven Nation Army, by White Stripes

4 Sep - Ice Hall, HELSINKI: Always On My Mind, by Elvis

5 Sep - Saku Arena, TAILLINN: All Star, by Smash Mouth

7 Sep - Arena Riga, RIGA: Thuderstruck, by AC/DC

8 Sep - Zalgiris Arena, KAUNAS: Can’t Help Falling In Love, by Elvis [Zouis this day]

10 Sep - Tauron Arena, KRAKOW: Lust For Life, by Iggy Pop

11 Sep - Atlas Arena, ŁÓDŹ: Blitzkreig Bop, by the Ramones

13 Sep - Wiener Stadhalle D, VIENNA: Supersonic, by Oasis

14 Sep - Stozice Arena, LJUBLJANA: Smile Like You Meant It, by The Killers

15 Sep - Budapest Arena, BUDAPEST: Helicopter, by Bloc Party

17 Sep - Arenele Romane, BUCHAREST: My Hero, by Foo Fighters

18 Sep - Arena Armeets, SOFIA: Bombtrack, by Rage Against The Machine

20 Sep - Petras Theater, ATHENS: Go With The Flow, by Queens of the Stone Age

1 Oct - Bilbao Arena Miribilla, BILBAO (VIZCAYA): Where Is My Mind, by The Pixies

3 Oct - Altice Arena, LISBON: Farewell To The Fairground, by White Lies

5 Oct - Wizink Center, MADRID: Munich, by Editors

6 Oct - Palau Sant Jordi, BARCELONA: One Armed Scissor, by At the Drive-In

8 Oct - Pala Alpitur, TURIN: Are You Gonna Go My Way, by Lenny Kravitz

9 Oct - Unipol Arena, BOLOGNA: Helicopter, by Bloc Party

11 Oct - Rockhal, ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE: Where Is My Mind, by The Pixies

12 Oct - Sportspaleis, ANTWERP: My God Is The Sun, by Queens Of The Stone Age [very self-aware choice]

14 Oct - Accor Arena, PARIS : Bubbles, by Biffy Clyro

15 Oct - Ziggo Dome, AMSTERDAM: Song 2, by Blur

17 Oct - Lanxess Arena, COLOGNE: Can't Stand Me Now, by The Libertines

19 Oct - O2 Arena, PRAGUE: Are You Gonna Be My Girl, by Jet

20 Oct - Mercedes Benz Arena, BERLIN: Friday I’m In Love, by The Cure

22 Oct - Olympiahalle, MUNICH: Praise You, by Fatboy Slim

23 Oct - Hallenstadion, ZURICH: Last Nite, by The Strokes

8 Nov - 3Arena, DUBLIN: These Are The Days, by Inhaler

10 Nov - Utilita Arena, SHEFFIELD: Mr. Brightside, by The Killers

11 Nov - AO Arena, MANCHESTER: This Charming Man, by The Smiths

12 Nov - Ovo Hydro, GLASGOW: Gloria, by The Snuts

14 Nov - Brighton Center, BRIGHTON: I Wanna Be Sedated, by Ramones

15 Nov - International Arena, CARDIFF: 20th Century Boy, by T-Rex

17 Nov - The O2, LONDON: Can’t Stand Me Now, by The Libertines

18 Nov - Resorts World Arena, BIRMINGHAM: Till The End Of The Road, by Boyz II Men

You can also find the list at this Twitter account: ltwtoutros.

[ryanfrogz]

Trains Down South, 10/23/24: Henderson Station, Old Steel, & Bad Luck (part 1)

Mankato is a city located 60-some miles south-southwest of Minneapolis. It's not all that big, but it definitely isn't small. That being said, there are some pretty cool trains there. Unfortunately, said trains are not easy for the public to access. The easiest way to see them is with a camera drone, which I just happen to have recently acquired. And thus, my journey began.

Henderson, Minnesota is a small town about 25 miles north of Mankato, located on the west bank of the Minnesota River. Henderson Station, Minnesota is an unincorporated community directly across the river from Henderson, and as its name suggests, it was home to the town's train station. Henderson Station is most well known for being home to Lake Minnetonka, a purifying body of water featured in Prince's film Purple Rain. Also an abandoned grain elevator. I stopped here to photograph said grain elevator because I'm a total sucker for historic grain elevators.

Directly adjacent to the elevator is a nature preserve & public park with access to the river, separated only by an active rail line and historic spur track. The spur track, once a short siding, passed between the former depot and the mainline. Boxcars full of goods for Henderson would be parked & unloaded there. In the modern day, it's occasionally used to store maintenance equipment. As I was pulling into the park to park, I noticed a green signal by the tracks. Train time! Soon enough! After walking around the grain elevator, I took to the spur. It was night & day compared to the well-kept mainline: the ballast was made of oily sand and fine gravel mixed with shards of long-gone ties. Loose spikes and unidentifiable pieces of rusty metal littered the area around the tracks. Two long sticks of 1937-made rail sat off to the side, awaiting installation (or conversion to spoons).

The rails complimented the spur quite well, with all the ones I could read dating to the 1920s and 1930s. I also found a joint bar from 1919, and some tie plates from the early 20s. Most of the rail sticks were made by Lackawanna Steel, with a handful of other (unrecognized) names thrown in as well. Halfway down the track lay a big, heavy-duty brake shoe for something railroad related. Alas, the part number was too far gone to find out what exactly.

After waiting for more than an hour, I decided to get back on the road. I checked the signal one last time before pulling away: still green. I looked down at my phone to check the time, and when I looked back up, the signal was RED! This signal was double-sided, and I thought I might be able to see the other side from the park. I drove down to a closer entrance gate, and just as I opened the car door, I heard a horn. A close horn.

Leaping back into the car, I drove back up to the crossing and got ready. Finally, after all that time, a train! Three big road diesels appeared from around the nearby curve, and they were FLYING! The head end was gone almost as soon as it appeared. And just my luck, the elastic band on my lens cap holder had slid forward, making it impossible to zoom in. This is the best shot I got. And then came the worst part. The train was tiny! Couldn't have been more than 20-some cars, I wasn't counting. The cars were super boring, too. All that time for nothing.

[westadventure24]

Day 12 - Tall Tales

Monday found us leaving the comfort of the Minneapolis hotel and piling back into Ruby to embark on what would be a long day of driving ending with our last overnight camp out.

We made our way across Minnesota and into Wisconsin. First and only major stop of the day was in the Wisconsin Dells. We stopped for a delicious all-you-can-eat family style breakfast for lunch (because that was the only option) at The Paul Bunyan Cook Shanty. Beautiful place that had been serving the Dells for over 60 years. The shanty was made of old, solid, pine stained logs and decorated as you would expect with tables made to fit families larger than ours. Our lunch breakfast started with an appetizer of warm homemade donuts, exactly like the ones we used to make in the donut wagon, except these were full size not minis. Yummy!!! The waiter then brought out our main course of fresh buttermilk pancakes, fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy fried potatoes, warm gravy with homemade biscuits, and a plate of ham and sausage links. I knew that I was not a fan of sausage, but evidently neither is anyone in my family! Tons of food, but together we did manage to eat most all of it and head out the door as this establishment of folk tale legend closed the door behind us for the day.

After filling our bellies, we drove into the downtown area in hopes to see some of the beautiful river valley. We took a very short stroll along the very well kept River Walk to get a small glimpse of the beautiful natural rock walls on both sides of the river. However, to fully appreciate it, I am guessing a boat tour, would be the best option, but not on our agenda for the day.

We were shocked to find this area of the Dells to be very commercialized with boat tours, water parks, souvenir shops, candy shops, restaurants and bars. Not what we were expecting, but we got some fudge as I promised Lew I would. I am hopeful that it will satisfy Arlene’s sweet tooth. 😊

None of us had ever been to Wisconsin and I think it was different than expected. The landscape reminded us much of home. At the current time, very dry and dusty!

We loaded Lily and the folks back into the RV and headed for Utica, Illinois where we stayed at Starving Rock State Park for our last night away. We had a nice relaxing evening by the fire, while Todd set up his phone for he and Dad to watch some Monday Night football and enjoy his grilled cheese sandwich. Dad spent his last night as a happy camper! Now, that might just be a TALL Tale….I will let you decide. 😳

[beingharsh]

General Mills, Inc. P.O. Box 9452 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440 United States Dear Old El Paso, I am also old and was born thumbless. (And I have been to the cacti plains and stockyards of El Paso while SHOPPING alone.) Haggard. Lines on my face like a roadmap although no one these days knows how to read a roadmap, do they? Or how to name a bird, build a low tire fire, eat a charred cow with pocketknife, smell the stars, run a trotline, play a spoon, bang a gong, get it on, wrestle a wounded coyote to the ground, and so on. When I was a kid no one even gave us schoolbooks. You had to write your own book, at home, bind it yourself (mine was mostly sestinas about farm animals and made of cornstalks and barbed wire), and walk to school through THE DREADFUL VALLEY while pushing your books in a wheelbarrow. But I digress.   As most know by now, my wife was hit by lightning while skinny-dipping. I am RESPONSIBLE for numerous kids! Eight are mine but we HELP out others round these parts (over by the White River Bridge, eastside, respect). Weary is my forehead. Like everyone decent and good I know, we lost the farm. A corporation took it and gave it to Japan. I moved to Indiana and now commute to work outside Memphis, Tennessee as a janitor for a chemical company. Poorly paid and dangerous as TETRAHYDRAFURFURAN. Brimstone and greed. Starlings fly over and drop dead. One day my Camry exploded. We have an inside guy with OSHA and we get tips if they are coming for inspection, I'm sorry. I've seen a forklift take flight off a building and crush a secretary. We don't get BBQ, iced tea, or medical, not free. I could name the chemical company, but I will not. It rhymes with Poo Font. And HOW do I FEED all those kids? I'm glad you asked. Carp tacos. Five days a week. (We eat cattail reeds pulled from the marshy shoulder of highway 40 on weekends.) Each kid gets HALF a taco. This is how we survive, no, thrive. We are a happy family. We don't need money. Or TIME. We dwell within the prickly embrace, the bayonet and hammock, of love. It takes a village. Last Tuesday I got off work and briefly visited the burlesque shows of the greater Mississippi delta and the Tunica casinos for my WELLNESS and then drove to Indiana and called to the kids and opened the usual box of OLD EL PASO ESTABLISHED 1938 SOFT AND HARD TACO DINNER KIT. And for what? Despair. FIVE hard tacos, not the PROMISED 6! FIVE! (I am enclosing visual evidence.) Please disclose yourself. Please tell Brody why she had no dinner at all. Hold her tiny hand as her stomach guffaws in agony. I request an explanation and at LEAST one hard taco shell. Fair is fair. Unfair is unfair. I had to explain MENDACITY to Brody, not fun. She's only three and cries at the flick of a Bic lighter or the creak of kudzu in the night breeze or even the persistent odor of gasoline (or at missing meals). Honestly, I feel like I've lost my family. And my farm. Once again. Sincerely, S Lovelace 13497 W River Valley Road Yorktown IN 47396 United States

"Complaint: Old El Paso", Sean Lovelace

[roebeanstalk]

tonight i went out to see the boy and the heron, the latest (last?) miyazaki film. the theatre i go to is this small, two or three screen theatre that's pretty chill. their tickets are cheap, their concessions are cheaper, and the theatres are pretty good. there's no stadium seating, but there is a slight incline so your views don't usually feel too blocked. there aren't a lot of automated light cues. something about this theatre always makes me feel like i'm really in a community. seeing movies in person makes me feel fucking good.

i go alone usually, and afterwards i walk around the path by the river for a while, looking at all of the buildings and lights and streets and people. i always try to take a picture with my phone, and no matter how many settings i tweak, i can't get it to look as nice as it feels. i walk my way back to the bus stop and wait for the bus.

tonight, it was nineteen minutes out. and i had to pee. i paced back and forth for a while, awkwardly positioning myself when someone would walk by so that i didn't appear to be a threat. then, moving again realizing that i probably now looked suspiciously like a threat. i was cold enough or walked it off enough that i could sit down without feeling like i was going to piss everywhere.

sitting there, i just was really aware of how often i'm afraid while i'm out and about. there is always this fear that someone is going to come at me, that i'm in danger. to calm the alarm, i look at every person i see and everything that moves in my peripheral vision and make sure that it's not a threat, that i neutralize it in my head. but i don't, it never goes away, and it usually gets worse with each breath i take and thought i have. i live with that fear a lot of the time, my heart racing and my mind trying to keep up with it, outrun it.

for some reason today (probably the combination of a soberingly beautiful ghibli film and a questionable vape), i was aware of all of that fear, but a lovely thing happened... i let myself just sit however i was and stare at the building across the street. the urge to make sure i was sitting the right way, the one that would have a commanding presence and make sure no one would try anything on me... but i'd try to just redirect. stare at the sign in the window. at the markings on the street. at my phone.

that's another one, the phone. i can never sit in public and look at my phone, because that is welcoming it getting stolen or signals to someone that i am distracted, and can be fucked with, harmed. so i always have to be vigilant, sturdy, prepared. always bracing, not for the hit, but as though i'm being hit perpetually and need to make it through.

when i'm inside my home, or small places i feel i can take up space in, just be in, not change myself in... i get comfortable, and i never want to leave. everything outside is a threat.

i walk out the door, and i have an hp bar above my head. and it's not full, it's low. blaring sound effects and flashing red, empty. one more hit and that's it. so i go back inside, i curl up in bed, and i hide.

it's safe in here. where nothing can happen to me and i can shield myself from the outside world. i can exist in my own bubble, where nothing can hurt or judge.

i want to walk around in the world and not be afraid of existing. of sitting on a bench, breathing. that's all i want to do. at this point, i don't even know what is an irrational fear in my head based on my anxiety and past trauma, and what is a real fear based on factual things that occur like queerphobic violence and harassment on the street driven by class wars and governmentally/socially enforced desperation.

a trans woman of color named savannah ryan williams was shot in minneapolis on november 29th. this is just one occurrence of too many. savannah was 38, just three and a half years older than me.

minnesota has been claimed as a trans refuge state. whenever i talk about my fears with being visibly trans and non-passing, i'm often met with people saying how i'm from minnesota at least, so it's not that bad.

about five months before covid lockdowns, i was heading to work at a hair salon. i worked the front desk, and i loved that job. i was opening, so i was on the bus pretty early. this was the first day i presented more feminine after figuring out my gender identity, or starting that journey anyway. i had some makeup on, had styled the length of hair i had in the cutest way i could, and i felt good. i remember feeling good, and then i remember feeling a really heavy impact hitting my glasses, smashing them into my brow, and releasing. i noticed the man who had just hit me in the face stumble back, and he seemed scared and apologized. i don't know if he punched me deliberately, or if he stumbled on the bus. i got to work, called someone and told them about it, got through work, and went home.

i spent the next five months in my house, for the most part. when trying to go back to the salon for my next shift, i couldn't get within thirty feet of my door. work let me go. i eventually got fed up with myself and force-applied for a million jobs, got one, and took it. covid happened, lockdown happened, and i had trauma flashbacks and panic attacks to the point of losing the new job months after starting. (the job also botched my workplace credentials, so everyone knew me by my deadname, and never met me in person) a year later, i tried another job, but after two days, had intense anxiety when i'd be in the parking lot and couldn't get myself to go in.

i finally got a job again this past week. i've had two shifts. this is the streak i have to break. i want nothing more than to ghost tomorrow. to not go. if i do that, i'll get fired most likely. and i'll lose the promise of stability that i've been waiting for. i'll lose the proudness of my mom and my sisters and my friends. and that makes it harder. that makes me want to fuck it up even more.

i'm not really taking this anywhere positive, or anywhere in particular...i just want to write it out. keep it. know how i felt in this moment, the eve of wanting to fuck it up. i'm almost already crying and mourning the job that i haven't destroyed yet. and the worst thing is, i feel right. and i feel wronged. i had my drive for life taken from me and i want it back.

"she is messy but she's kind she is lonely most of the time she is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie she is gone but she used to be mine"

sara bareilles - she used to be mine, from waitress

[astriiformes]

So can you talk some about the Twin Cities and some of their pros and cons? Do you know of / can you speak on any other queer bubbles in the state?

Yeah, definitely -- sorry for the wait on this one, life has been a whole thing for me lately. But I do want to make good on my offer!

The first thing that I feel like is interesting to explain to people is that when people refer to the Twin Cities, they really mean the "twin" part. I think people (myself included, before I moved here!) tend to imagine them as two larger cities that are just fairly close to each other, but Minneapolis and Saint Paul are really more fused together than anything -- the Mississippi River sort of serves as a dividing line, with most of Saint Paul on one side and most of Minneapolis on the other, but it's not a foolproof rule. They kind of both spill over the banks and into each other. So both cities share a transit system and you can literally walk from one into the other, and while Minneapolis has a population of like 425,000 and Saint Paul has a population of about 300,000, in practice it's kind of more like living in a city of 750,000. I used to live in Minneapolis, but moved to Saint Paul about a year and a half ago..... because it was going to be easier for me to get to my university (in Minneapolis) from a Saint Paul neighborhood on the shared light rail line than the Minneapolis neighborhood I used to live in!

For general pros and cons in the area -- in general Minnesota definitely has a more reasonable cost of living than many areas that are thought of as particularly queer-friendly. I can't speak to how every single expense stacks up, but I know rent is a lot better here than the last place I lived (Denver, CO) and that's obviously one of the big ones. Minnesota's benefits for people on state services are also generally easier to get on (....comparatively) and better than many places in the country. I've essentially had free healthcare since I moved here (yeah, I know, pretty unheard of in the US) due to the quality of the state health insurance for lower income people -- including dental benefits and transition-related care -- and the state is even letting me stay on their insurance while I'm in school, since they don't consider the university an "employer."

I also know another things my friends and I really love about the Twin Cities is that for a major urban area, there's a remarkable amount of nature and quality natural spaces. There's really great urban parks system and hiking trails and lakes people go fishing and skating on and even an incredible waterfall all within the city limits, and I know multiple people here who have said they usually don't like cities at all but find the Twin Cities a lot nicer than most as a result.

I also find there's a lot of fun, weird stuff going on here, which is definitely true of many places, but you know, still nice to hear about a place, I imagine. There's a pretty decent queer scene in the Twin Cities (can't speak to like, bars and things personally, but I haven't had a hard time making queer friends here, even before I went back to school, and there are some neat places like a queer library in the area; I also go to a very queer synagogue, and my college's queer student organization is one of the oldest in the country), I swear I'm always hearing about one neat event or another, one of my favorite conventions (CONvergence) in the country, lots of really excellent museums.... as someone who'd never had anywhere in the Midwest on my radar before moving here (I moved to be closer to a good friend/my now-qpp) it's been really nice to learn just how fun and interesting an area it is.

That said I mostly do know the Twin Cities area. There isn't really another particularly deep blue area elsewhere in the state -- pockets here and there, for sure, but our two big cities are sort of slammed into each other, as opposed to in some states where they're further apart. The flip side of this is that the insulating sprawl of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul suburbs reaches pretty far. Even if you don't live directly in one of the two cities, I've got queer friends living happily in places like Bloomington, Saint Louis Park, and Roseville, too.

As for the downsides -- if you're not a fan of winter, you may struggle here. I know people who still pull through alright because they like the rest of the year enough (we get a real spring and especially fall, which is nice) and other things about the area, but Minnesota is far enough north that the days get really short in the winter, and we do get a LOT of snow and ice, along with cold enough temperatures that at a certain point, the snow just stays until spring. It's also difficult to explain if you've lived somewhere where winter gets cold but not Cold, but temperature below 0°F truly do feel different on a very weird level, and we get plenty of them. (That said, if you're somebody like me who likes cooler weather and/or the idea of living somewhere a bit more climate change-resilient, all this may actually be a selling point...)

The other thing I'd be remiss not to mention is that I know my white friends and my friends of color tend to have some differing opinions on the area. Some of this is for reasons that would likely be true most places in the United States, but Minnesota as a whole is definitely a pretty white state (especially outside the Twin Cities -- that's another area where Minneapolis-Saint Paul form a bubble, probably even more starkly), and there are places where it really shows, even on balance with the strong immigrant communities here. I'm unfortunately not the best person to ask how much of a deal-breaker that is, just since it's not my own lived experience and I'd be worried about too heavily weighting the positives I have experienced over the negatives I haven't, but if it's a concern for you, it's something to keep in mind, and maybe to find some better testimonials on.

I feel like I'm probably missing some things for both categories, and there's other things I feel are truly neutral compared to other places I've lived (like public transit -- our light rail trains are great, but we definitely don't have enough routes) but I've been sitting on this long enough, and if you have any specific follow-up questions or things I didn't touch on feel free to reach out again. I hope some of this is helpful to you.

[mightyflamethrower]

When the progressive woke revolution took over traditional America, matters soon reached the level of the ridiculous.

Take the following examples of woke craziness and hypocrisy, perhaps last best witnessed during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.

The Biden administration from its outset wished to neuter immigration law. It sought to alter radically the demography of the U.S. by stopping the border wall and allowing into the United States anyone who could walk across the southern border.

Over seven million did just that. Meanwhile, Biden ignored the role of the Mexican cartels in causing nearly 100,000 ANNUAL American fentanyl deaths.

Then border states finally wised up.

They grasped that the entire open-borders, “new Democratic majority” leftwing braggadocio was predicated on its hypocritical architects staying as far away as possible from their new constituents.

So cash strapped border states started busing their illegal aliens to sanctuary blue-state jurisdictions.

Almost immediately, once magnanimous liberals, whether in Martha’s Vineyard, Chicago, or Manhattan, stopped virtue-signaling their support for open borders.

Instead, soon they went berserk over the influx.

So now an embarrassed Biden administration still wishes illegal aliens to keep coming but to stay far away from their advocates—by forcing them to remain in Texas.

That means the president has redefined the US. border. It rests now apparently north of Texas, as Biden cedes sovereignty to Mexico.

Precivilizational greens in California prefer blowing up dams to building them.

They couldn’t care less that their targeted reservoirs help store water in drought, prevent flooding, enhance irrigation, offer recreation, and generate clean hydroelectric power.

Now an absurd green California is currently destroying four dams on the Klamath River. In adding insult to injury, it is paying the half-billion dollar demolition cost in part through a water bond that state voters once thought would build new—not explode existing—dams.

The Biden administration is mandating new dates when electric vehicles will be all but mandatory.

To prove their current viability, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm led a performance art EV caravan on a long road trip.

When she found insufficient charging stations to continue her media stunt, she sent a gas-powered car ahead to block open charging stations and deny them to other EVs ahead in line.

Only that way could Granholm ensure that her arriving energy-starved motorcade might find rare empty charger stalls.

In some California charging stations, diesel generators are needed to produce enough “clean” electricity to power the stalls.

The state has steadily dismantled many of its nuclear, oil, and coal power plants. It refuses to build new natural gas generation plants.

Naturally, California’s heavily subsidized solar and wind plants now produce too much energy during the day and almost nothing at night.

So the state now begs residents to charge their EVs only during the day. Then at night, Californians may soon be asked to plug them in again to transfer what is left in their batteries into the state grid.

Apparently only that way will there be enough expropriated “green” electricity for 41 million state residents after dark.

One of the loudest leftist voices to defund the police, and decriminalize violent crimes in the post-George Floyd era, was Shivanthi Sathanandan, the 2nd Vice Chairwoman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

She was recently not shy about defunding: “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. Say it with me. DISMANTLE.”

But recently the loud Sathanandan was a victim of the very crime wave she helped to spawn.

Four armed thugs carjacked her automobile. They beat her up in front of her children at her own home, and sped off without fear of arrest.

The reaction of the arch police dismantler and decriminalizer on her road to Damascus?

The now bruised and bleeding activist for the first time became livid that criminals had taken over her Minneapolis: “Look at my face. REMEMBER ME when you are thinking about supporting letting juveniles and young people out of custody to roam our streets instead of HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.”

Andrea Smith was an ethnic studies professor  at the University of California, Riverside. But now she has been forced out after getting caught lying that she was Native American.

Prior to her outing, she was well known for damning “white women” (like herself) who opted to “become Indians” out of guilt, and (like her) for careerist advantage.

The common theme of these absurdities is how contrary to human nature, impractical, and destructive is utopian wokism, whether in matters of energy, race, crime, or illegal immigration.

There are two other characteristics of the Woke Revolution.

One, it depends solely on its advocates never having to experience firsthand any of the nonsense they inflict on others.

And two, dangerous zealots with titles before, and letters after, their names prove to be quite stupid—and dangerous.

[clairity-org]

Mississippi Walking Trail, Minneapolis 7/29/23 by Sharon Mollerus

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Granted, this looks like a lovely 1877 second empire townhouse with a Mansard roof. It's in Minneapolis, MN, has 1bd, 1.5ba, and is listed for $1.2M + $1,029mo HOA (which really surprised me).

This is no ordinary townhouse. Walk through the cathedral-like doors and to the right is a small bar and wine rack.

And, to the left is this magnificent dining room under a dreamy carved wood pavilion with a painted ceiling.

But, that's not all. Check out the natural looking stone wall. And, the description says that it could possibly be an old tunnel that was sealed. (I would have to take a sledgehammer to it, then.)

Have you ever seen a fancier powder room? Fabric is on the wall in an assortment of carved frames with a mirror to match. The sink base is an intricately carved wood piece with a marble top. The faucet looks like a gold swan drinking from a large crystal bowl. Wow, I know I would chip that sink.

The casual living/family room features a brick wall with an arch and shelving. The rest of the room has lovely tall wainscoting and beamed wood ceilings. It also has stained glass upper windows.

The everyday dining room is right outside the kitchen.

Have you ever seen a kitchen like this? The wood countertops have flowers painted on them. Just noticed that's an Aga stove. (That size costs about $23K.)

The backsplashes over the stove and sink are detailed mosaics.

Even the little nook by the coffee bar has a mosaic backsplash.

The home is on 3 levels, so it's difficult to determine what floor this room is on. As you can see it's very elegant, very pink, with lovely white wainscoting, a magnificent fireplace and gold accents.

It looks comfortable and sunny, though. Love the chandelier, corbels and decals on the walls. (I'm not into tapestries, however.)

The owner commissioned a muralist to paint the stairwells. Note the fancy doors.

There's only 1 bd. and it has murals of the mountains of Japan, plus woven walls to make it look like a Minka, a traditional Japanese home.

Check out the entrance to the en-suite guarded by Fu Dogs.

The black granite tub has a big dragon head faucet. Wow, this is insane. Look at the floor and the wood walls.

Even the pattern in the shower looks like mountains.

Behind the doors there's a washer and dryer.

The sink vanity looks like an antique Japanese bureau and look at the private room for the black toilet.

You get 1 garage and 2 open spaces.

That's the Mississippi River across the street. It looks like there's a rooftop deck with sun rooms, too.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8-Grove-St-8B-Minneapolis-MN-55401/1913645_zpid/

[abigailvonah05]

Artist Research #7: Alec Soth

Introduction/Background: 

Alec Soth is an American photographer born in 1969 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Throughout his career as a photographer, he has published over 25 books and done over 50 solo exhibitions. Growing up he was known to be very shy during school, but nevertheless he successfully studied and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College In New York. His photographic style is documentation and with this style he is concerned with “mythologies and oddities that proliferate America’s disconnected communities' ' (Magnum, profile). His projects tend to feature the midwest in America in a large scale format. Soth’s view of photography is very unique with his work being compared to works of literature, but Soth believes photography to be more fragmented; “It’s more like poetry than writing a novel” (Magnum, profile). 

Notable works: 

Alec Soth’s Sleeping by the Mississippi is one of his most defining photo book publications. Published in 2004, this was Soth’s first book and established him as one of the leading figures of photographic practice. This photo book depicts a series of road trips along the Mississippi river. To show these road trips, he photographs a mix of individuals, landscapes, and interiors that all convey the mood of loneliness and longing. Sloth merges a “documentary style with poetic sensibility” (Mackbooks). He first began to get the idea for this project when he began to get influenced through seeing the tradition of road trip photography. He decided to make this his own tradition and started following the Mississippi river in the car. He used the river as a way to connect with the people he photographed along the way. His strategy was to stop his car as soon as someone or something caught his eye, although this didn’t go exactly as planned since the photos he ended up taking weren’t what he envisioned. He eventually was able to capture what he wanted when he met the people along the Mississippi and they let him into their homes.

Awards/Nominations: 

Alec Soth has won many awards in his life so far. A few of these awards include the following: 

1999: McKnight Foundation Photography Fellowship, Minneapolis, MN.

2001: Travel and Study Grant, Jerome Foundation, for Sleeping by the Mississippi.

2003: Santa Fe Prize for Photography.

2004: McKnight Foundation Photography Fellowship, Minneapolis, MN.

2006: Finalist, Deutsche Börse Photography Prize. A £3000 prize.

2008: Bush Fellowship, Bush Foundation, Saint Paul, MN. A $50000 grant.

2013: McKnight Foundation Photography Fellowship, Minneapolis, MN.

2021: Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, Bristol

Personal thoughts: 

From researching Alec Soth and his work, I feel like his process of taking pictures is similar to mine, especially with how he took the photos for his project Sleeping by the Mississippi. Oftentimes I don’t have a set plan for how my pictures are going to look or even what pictures I will be taking at all. I did this for the scavenger hunt assignment, which I walked around Fresno State as well as my house looking for anything that stood out to me. I take a lot of comfort in the way he does this and even the fact that he almost didn’t stick with photography comforted me in a way as well. This gives me hope that even if I’m discouraged about how my photos look now, I know that if I keep on going I can accomplish everything I want to achieve. 

Works cited: 

https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/alec-soth-sleeping-by-the-mississippi/

https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/alec-soth/

https://www.mackbooks.us/products/sleeping-by-the-mississippi-br-alec-soth

https://alecsoth.com/photography/about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Soth

[trivialbob]

Yesterday was a four brewery day!

Recently the newspaper had a story about three new smash burgers places. All three are within walking distance of each other (and lots of other breweries and restaurants) in the North Loop area of Minneapolis. I’m starting to like that neighborhood.

First we stopped for one of those smash burgers at Bricksworth Beer Co. They just opened a new bar and restaurant in Minneapolis. The original location, which serves pizza, is in Burnsville. I’ve been meaning to that one too. For some reason I rarely go south of the Minnesota river. It’s just a few miles but seems much farther to me. Or as my younger sister says, “It’s just not in my comfort zone.”

The burger was excellent as was the one beer I had. Sheila and I chatted with the people sitting next to us at the bar. I love doing that now. She is so proud that she has trained me to like sitting at the bar instead of a corner table and talking to strangers.

Across the street is Modist Brewing. We walked in to take a quick look but didn’t order beer. I just wanted to see the place and count how many dogs were in there. There were two sleeping dogs I saw. I let them lie.

Then we made a short hop to Northeast Minneapolis. We stopped at Indeed Brewing to see if they had Coconut Macaroon Cream Ale, a limited edition Sheila has been wanting to try. There was no more CMCA. That didn’t deter us from ordering something else and playing cards.

Indeed was busy. I asked two women if we could share their large table. They gladly said yes. When they later left, Sheila waved over two other people who were looking for somewhere to sit.

As an old, bald guy wearing nice shoes and a good sweater, and my wife with her gobs and gobs of red hair, people seem to trust us. The two young women who joined us got up to use the rest room or smoke. They left iPhones and pocketbooks on our table. They didn’t even ask us to watch their stuff.

When we left someone else took our seats at the table. I like that. The video at the top I took from Indeed’s patio. That area was busy too, with a barrel fire and patio heaters keeping it comfortable. Of course I like watching the trains pass by.

When we finished there we drove back closer home and met friends at our local brewery. The place was busy. There were a lot of kids there. Unlike at Target, I’ve yet to see a child melt down at a brewery. Some little kids near us had lots of toys and snacks. The Girls Scouts were in there too selling cookies.

This picture below is from a brewery, not a daycare :)