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Archive for the ‘Cool Things in St. Paul’ Category

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If you like to golf, there are almost too many options in St. Paul. In fact, last year MinnPost reported that the city is trying to figure out what to do with all the city courses because they’re no longer profitable (learn more about urban golf course decline here).

  • Are kids too busy?
  • Does it take too long to learn?
  • Is it too expensive?
  • Doesn’t anyone golf anymore?

Family golf scheduleRegardless of the reason, the Saintly City is looking to grow their own future players with a number of programs.

The newest is their Sunday night “Family Fun Golf” where kids golf pay nothing and an adult plays for only $10. Children must be 7 years old and you can only make reservations 2 weeks in advance. Part of me thinks these will fill up fast–it’s a great deal and low-pressure atmosphere for kids. With extra short tees and lots of kids on the course there shouldn’t be anyone demanding to play through.

Golf lesson

First Tee, a national golf non-profit, provides lessons and junior leagues through the local St. Paul branch and in cooperation with St. Paul Parks and Recreation. For only $30 young kids can learn to chip, putt, and drive in twice-a-week two-week series of lessons.

Better players, or at least, passionate ones can play in a weekly Monday morning league (5 or 9 holes), including one just for girls.

How do I know about this? I’m on the email list.

We need a summer activities fair.

But what if you’re a new parent whose child is ready to move up beyond plastic golf clubs?

How do parents learn of programs for their kids? Is it all word-of-mouth and Google searches? We’ve got a Home Improvement Fair in Highland Park, why not a summer activities fair–in February when we’re all dreaming of warm summer breezes?

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6789077586_6b476299e2_q Shout it out! Show your pride! Be a Katie!

Thursday is Shout Out St. Kate’s Day. My students wrote, produced, starred in and generally lived and breathed the topic since early February. They’ve had one month to learn the public relations value of this event and contribute their own creativity to the effort.

What did they learn?

  • Using events to create publicity (A Tweet Up at the Mall of America)
  • Encouraging and involving stakeholders (How would students envision and publicize the video contest?)
  • Communicating goals and important dates (When were the videos due?)
  • Being flexible to the external environment (Vine is only 5 weeks, old, after all!)

My Students’ Work

Vine:

YouTube: (more to come)

Shout Out to the Katie Nation

A Day in the Life of  a “Katie”

Shout Out Saint Kate’s Day 2013

The Commuter Experience

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Say hello to Chicken Dolly, Strawberry Sally, and Blackbird — My City Chickens. Dolly is an Ameraucana/ Easter Egger who lays blue-green eggs, Sally is a Rhode Island Red and Blackbird is grand Black Australorp with feathers that glisten greenly in the sun.

Are you surprised? Perhaps you’ve missed the latest craze of urban farming and backyard chickens–St. Paul hasn’t. We’ve got well-defined chicken-keeping laws and the best poultry supply store in town. If you’re curious about raising your own compost-producing beauties, take a class at Eggplant Urban Farm Supply or simply stop in later this week to pet a fluffy little chick.

For a glimpse city chickens in the winter, visit TheDailyChicken.org or cluck with the girls on Twitter. They occasionally star in the photos of local photographer and realtor, Teresa Boardman. Her pictures are always better than mine, but I’m learning a lot taking photos everyday for Project 365.

Local Information: 

The Ultimate Chicken Store:  Eggplant Urban Farm Supply

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“Un morceau de ça–pour deux, s’il vour plaît.” I’d like a piece of that for two people, please.

“Un plus grand–Oui, c’est bon, merci.” A little bigger, yes that’s good, thank you.

When I studied in France, I lived at the food markets, but it took me months to find the courage to buy cheese. The Apples, pears, peaches, and peppers arranged in neat pyramids and baskets were easy; “Une pomme, s’il vous plaît.” (One apple, please.) But the cheese…the stacks were gorgeous and the conversations quick. It was so much easier to buy a piece at Monoprix. Eventually I learned to listen better and realized no one asked for cheese by the gram, but rather by the occasion.

If you’ve never been, a French food market is a feast for all your senses. The scents titillate, the food displays resemble sculptures, and you want to taste everything. It’s just so pretty, it looks more than good enough to eat. These markets haunted my thoughts this summer as I wandered weekly through the St. Paul Farmers’ Market–kind of like a madeleine, you might say. It’s not that our local farmers’ markets aren’t lovely, they’re just utilitarian.

Well, most of the stands are. The veggies are crated up in cardboard containers–you pick the one you want and it’s bagged in one of those ubiquitous sacs that I think are banned in California now. And on you go, unless of course, you’re a regular and stop to chat about so-and-so’s health or when the first frost might hit The Cities. Sometimes you have to wait awhile, especially for corn–Kettle or fresh roasted.

Except for the flower vendors, all the stands pretty much looked alike:  long tables covered with food and bulging, open trucks parked behind the; smiling farmers happily bagging their crops, doling out change. You could be in St. Paul, Minneapolis, or Pine City. Minnesota farmers’ markets all have a similar vibe. The people working look like what farmer should…(I might be biased my paternal grandparents were farmers). There’s dirt on the carrots; you have to wash them when you get home.

Except.

There was this one stand. It was beautiful. The food spilled artfully out of wicker baskets onto a checkered cotton table-cloth. The signs, hand written like everyone’s were, instead, elegant. The prices were the same:  $5 for two cartons or $3 for one.

But there was no line–ever.

I brought my camera Sunday hoping to find them, take some photos and ask how their summer was. Regretfully they weren’t there. I wanted to know if they found market successful.

I realized something. I never bought veggies there. The stand was just too pretty–it didn’t look a Minnesota farmers’ market should. The visual scene they created didn’t correlate with my idea of “farmers’ market.”

Have you ever shopped somewhere that visually didn’t match up for you?

I’ll leave you with some photos from last Sunday’s market. Do they look like a farmers’ market should?

“Tuesday Morning Market” photo courtesy of chez loulou via Creative Commons License all other photos by me.

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I realize that’s an odd question, but one that pertains to how we buy and value products and services.

Here are some examples:

  • You see a house go on the market in a great neighborhood and it’s sold in 3 days.
  • You hear a song on the radio and think, “Cool band, I’d like to go see them.” Then you find out the show sold out in 2 hours at First Avenue.
  • You attend an awesome networking breakfast that sells out in 20 minutes with 3 ticket drops.
  • Your favorite band is in town, but there are still tickets the day of the show–how can that be?
  • You just need a cheesy hamburger, but the line’s 30 feet out the door and it’s only 20 degrees out.

What do these experiences (all real) say about value?

  • You want to buy a house near Mattock’s Park in St. Paul? Get in line. It’s one of the most popular micro-neighborhoods in St. Paul.
  • The first time I heard Mumford & Sons on the Current, I was intrigued, but too slow to buy tickets in time.
  • The Java Meetup 612 group is entertaining and educational even if it’s at 8 in the morning–but maybe I shouldn’t tell you about it if I ever want a ticket again?!
  • Bob Mould played First Avenue Saturday night. I’ve followed his music since I was not-so-sweet 16. I couldn’t believe the show didn’t sell out until Friday. Doesn’t everyone know how brilliant he is?
  • And the storied, Juicy Lucy. You can buy them all over town, but if you go to the Blue Door in St. Paul, expect to wait.

As consumers, our value perception changes based on product availability. Are Mumford & Sons any better than Jeremy Messersmith just because its slightly harder to get tickets to them? No. But then music is subjective. How do we think differently when everyone’s talking about something? Despite Bob Mould’s stunning show on Saturday night, most of the buzz I heard last week was about Dessa’s sold out lipstick unveiling. I really like her, too, but Bob, well Bob takes precedent and he doesn’t play here that often anymore. Was the buzz shining for Dessa because she’s local and Bob moved away a long time ago? Does she have better public relations? And, oh, Dessa Red is sold out…

My point really is when something is continually sold out, when do we lose interest? How much hype is too much?

If you have an answer, find me Saturday at the Minnesota Blogger Conference — that is if you have a ticket. It’s been sold out for weeks!

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When I moved to Chapel Hill, NC years ago, my neighbor and enduring friend gave us a list of all the fun activities for a family in the area. This year we’re sharing our Minneapolis-St.Paul knowledge with a family from Chapel Hill!

Here’s a list of just some of the fun things my family likes to do.

Target Family Day at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The museum is always free, but monthly they do a special family event: http://www.artsmia.org/index.php?section_id=44
Today is “Family Day and Peace Games: Inside/Out”

Walker Art Museum

http://www.walkerart.org/

The sculpture garden is always free (and really cool). The museum is free on Thursday nights (6-9) thanks to Target and the first Saturday of the month with special family events (http://www.walkerart.org/free-first-saturdays)

St Paul Public Library Museum Passes / Passport to Play
http://www.sppl.org/services/museum-passes // http://www.melsa.org/MuseumAdventurePass/index.cfm
Check out free passes to local museums, the zoo, etc.

Saint Paul Public Schools Community Education

http://commed.spps.org/

After school programs require registration through Community Ed. Gymnastics, swimming and other youth/adult programs are offered too.

Parks & Recreation

http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?nid=243

Sports, art, fitness, crafts etc. Linwood Community Center, for instance, has lots of kids dance programs and adult yoga.

Music in Mears Park, Downtown St. Paul

http://www.musicinmears.com/

Free on Thursday nights at 6 pm

MN History Center – Nine Nights of Music

http://www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/events-programs/nine-nights-of-music

Free music on Tuesday nights

Lowertown St. Paul Farmers’ Market

http://www.stpaulfarmersmarket.com/

290 E 5th St, St. Paul, MN 55101
Saturday and Sundays 6/7 am – 1 pm
Fruit, veggies, meat, baked goods, Hmong crafts & prêt-à-manger food
Plus there’s a lovely coffee shop on the corner (The Black Dog http://blackdogstpaul.com/).

Como Zoo and Conservatory

http://www.comozooconservatory.org/

Always free and the Conservatory is heavenly in the winter!

Sports
Parks and Rec, lots of soccer club programs (Blackhawks, Joy of the People etc.)
Low key programs available through HGRA (http://www.hgra.org/) including Sunday, fall baseball for 9+. It’s fun with lots of emphasis on sportsmanship and learning the game. HGRA also offers spring track and summer soccer and baseball. Hockey is huge, but we just play “pick up games” at the local parks, many kids start at age 4 and play very competitively. St Paul Community Ed has awesome gymnastics programs for all ages, too.

Don’t forget the Minnesota Children’s Museum, the Science Museum, and all the pools in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Today’s the last day of the Irish Fair until next year

Coming up….

MN State Fair

http://www.mnstatefair.org/

Aug 23 – Labor Day
Lots of Park and Ride bus lots, discount tickets at Cub Foods
From seed art to crazy food on a stick with the best people watching in the state

Lowertown Art Crawl http://stpaulartcrawl.org/
Fall 2012: Friday October 12, Saturday October 13, & Sunday October 14

Ice Skating Downtown St. Paul (http://www.wellsfargowinterskate.com/)
Of course there is skating at all the local parks, too!

St. Paul Winter Carnival (http://www.winter-carnival.com/)

MUSIC I’ll leave for another day!

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Figuratively at least.

The City of St. Paul opened a stunning new pool two weeks ago to delighted kids and long check in lines. The new Como Park Pool squeezes in more fun per square yard than any pool I’ve ever visited. But this is a marketing blog, not a lazy river, zip line, water slide, cliff jumping blog; or is it?

I could complain about the glacial entry process, but who at the City of St. Paul offices will see my blog?

Thankfully, I have other options.

My pool is on Facebook.

2,055 of us on Facebook like the pool. 27 of us answered; me included. I politely mentioned that I thought there were too many double tubes in the lazy river which caused traffic jams and that it took me FIVE minutes (yes I did use capital letters) to check in 5 people on Saturday night.

And they wrote back! Who knew the pool could type?

I feel heard! I’m happy.

The lesson:  Acknowledgement improves customer satisfaction.

Granted the pool only answered about tubes, so I hope management will analyze the entry process and make speed a goal. After all McDonald’s is not famous for their slow food…

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My darling husband and I have a weekly lunch date, almost always in St. Paul. We gravitate towards spicy Asian offerings on University, but we were downtown this morning, so we hit the food trucks.

That was of course after we finally found an ATM. Apparently no one walks downtown on the sidewalks because the skyways were flooded with wandering office workers.

So get outside! Dine at a food truck!

Potter’s Duck rolls and Asian coleslaw mesmerized my tongue.

Mondays:  In front of Ecolab

Wednesdays:  Wabasha and Kellogg

Thursdays:  Robert and Kellogg

See:  http://mspstreetfood.com/blog/ for more detailed information

And many, if not, all the food trucks take plastic, but I’m sure they prefer cash.

Bon appétit

(P.S. Meritage has a crèpe stand Tuesday-Friday)

  1. Menus
  2. Share
Finally @PottersPasties for lunch tweeting makes me famished #foodtruckcourt #stPaul Duck roll or Thai veg pastie?? http://pic.twitter.com/ZdtPxjpM
Thu, May 03 2012 13:25:12

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  1. I spent this great, rainy Saturday at the Science Museum of Minnesota because I tweet. Really, I think that’s the real reason I was invited. Me, a bunch of science folks and other interesting people like economics writer, Erik Hare and musician and nerd (not necessarily in that order), Jeremy Messersmith.
  2. I watched 1.5 cubic miles of Greenland glacier melt in 75 minutes with Will Steeger.
  3. I talked politics and partisanship with Shawn Otto because I want to use his book Fool Me Twice in a communications and science course at St. Catherine University.
  4. I listened to Maggie Koerth-Baker of boingboing.net share the history of the light bulb, maybe not so interesting until you realize it failed miserable for THIRTY years…
  5. And lastly, I went all fangirl chatting up Jeremy Messersmith. A gracious and smart rock star. Lucky me.
  6. Thus, below is my storify of interesting Tweets from the the Great Minnesota Science Tweetup.

  7. How can we talk about science?

  8. Share
    Sorry @ShawnOtto, your chat was just as opinion charged as those you are refuting. If we are to use moral values, faith counts #mnearthday
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:00:41
  9. Share
    @jmessersmith depends. Evidence does not necessarily equal truth. but neither does belief. Thats the tipping point of the whole thing.
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 15:54:27
  10. Share
    @jmessersmith I think I get tired of the idea that faith and science are inevitable opposites. I don’t think the evidence says that.
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 15:02:06
  11. Share
    @jmessersmith Felt more like lobbyist/antagonist than scientist. Using partial vid clips, making fun of govnmt, arrogant about solutions.
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:56:10
  12. Share
    Thank you @willsteger. Need to be more tolerant of differing views. We are all in this together. #MNearthday
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:59:03
  13. Share
    Facts don’t convince. Emotion, Values, Story Telling all do. #MNEarthDay @ShawnOtto
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:58:57
  14. Share
    Songwriting 101! RT @Sara_G_N_Kerr: Facts don’t convince. Emotion, Values, Story Telling all do. #MNEarthDay @ShawnOtto
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:00:11
  15. Share
    “We’re all in on this expedition together.” @willsteger #climate #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:57:00
  16. Share
    Change science from monologue to dialogue #MNEarthDay Especially in the classroom–I was lucky to have science awesome profs in Jr/Sr High
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:45:18
  17. Share
    MT “@sciencemuseummn: we spend < 5% of our lives in a classroom; science is constantly changing #MNEarthDay” helps when it’s interactive
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:41:08
  18. Share
    mT “@wabbitoid: Science is a process vs fixed body of work. The Scientific Method is curiouisty crafted into inquiry. #MNEarthDay” A System
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:57:17
  19. Who was there
  20. Share
    Thanks to all the #mnEarthDay speakers @willsteger @BoingBoing @ShawnOtto and to our very own Patrick Hamilton.
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 16:01:18
  21. Share
    @willsteger “We have to solve this problem for our children.” #climate #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:50:13
  22. Share
    Fool Me Twice, Fighting the Assault on Science, author @shawnotto up now @sciencemuseummn for #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:44:33
  23. Share
    Politics and science good talk RT @KitchPantrySci: MN Book award winner @ShawnOtto is about to speak! #MNEarthDay #FoolMeTwice
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:47:10
  24. Share
    Must read!! #MNEarthDay RT @ShawnOtto: Science, a Force for Freedom and Human Rights huff.to/I7ggqS via @HuffingtonPost
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:50:00
  25. Share

    Super excited to see @maggiekb1 speak at #MNEarthDay! I’ve heard great things. http://twitpic.com/9chax6
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:15:19
  26. What we talked about
  27. Share
    The average American uses twice as much energy compared to the average European @maggiekb1 #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:31:22
  28. Share

    Love the idea of bounding and social economics for lay people #MNEarthDay http://pic.twitter.com/0WHsc5q9
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:52:55
  29. Share
    Buildings and industry count for 70% of energy use in the US. Applying new heat-capturing techniques would lower that number. #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 16:05:14
  30. Share
    The presentations by @shawnotto and @willsteger are more terrifying than any horror film I’ve ever seen. #whiteknuckles #mnearthday
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:15:22
  31. Share
    Antiscience forces want to add to their freedom – at the expense of yours. Regulation Science = Freedom. – @ShawnOtto #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:12:04
  32. Share
    Tools for Arctic exploration in the 1950s, sleds. Now? Canoe sleds. #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:29:05
  33. Share
    #mnearthday ice the size of land east of the Mississippi broke up in 2007
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:29:37
  34. Share
    Wow. @willsteger Went kite skiing in Greenland. Unreal. #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:35:21
  35. Share
    RT @Sara_G_N_Kerr: I am such a science lightweight. @sciencemuseummn allows me to be a student at #MNEarthDay which makes me a better teacher @StKate
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:38:12
  36. Share
    Marketing/business found ways to profit from #electricity @maggiekb1 #MNEarthDay is #HowThingsOftenChange see Enviro Econ
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:25:52
  37. Share
    The electric companies had to event things that used electricity in order to create a need for it @maggiekb1 #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:25:28
  38. Share
    When technology fails, we learn, but have we lost our patience to wait for it? Does it prevent innovation? #MNEarthDay #STEM
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:28:53
  39. Share
    The US wastes over half of the energy it consumes. Capturing heat waste would add the equivalent of 95 power plants to our grid. #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 16:35:13
  40. Share
    “The Greenland Effect” a little sun warmth & a bit if snow melt and WHOOSH the snow crashes from the roof. Like the glaciers #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 15:11:19
  41. Share
    Fascinating to hear the Big Back Yard is built upon decimeters if societal waste; hard to drill deep pilings through the #junk #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 15:08:14
  42. Share
    Could @sciencemuseummn annually be energy neutral? Yes they can! Solar power and energy efficient #MNEarthDay using readily available tech
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:59:40
  43. Share
    .@sciencemuseummn computer modeled energy efficiency in the design phase back in the 90s #MNEarthDay #HowCoolIsThat next? Waste heat capture
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:47:49
  44. Share
    Minn science museum started effort to reduce waste by having garbage emptied in a warehouse, dissected, and studied. #mnearthday
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:45:50
  45. Politics and Science
  46. Share
    RT @maggiekb1: Science is always political because it challenges vested interests. @shawnotto at #mnearthday
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:50:16
  47. Share
    Oh, wow. Never thought before abt Biblical perspective on rising sea levels vs. “God promised no more global flood.” #mnearthday
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:57:24
  48. Share
    Great point from Shawn Otto. “Science is never partisan, science is always political.” #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:00:45
  49. Share

    No. We are not well enough informed. #MNEarthDay I want to see politics exit k-12 education, but not just bash 1 party http://pic.twitter.com/Z1rIJ2YO
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:57:29
  50. Share
    Of 535 Congress members, less than 2% are scientists. So @sciencemuseummn young visitors, time to start your CAMPAIGNS #MNEarthDay #Problem
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:07:30
  51. Share
    A bubble economy crashes. What makes us think a bubble environment won’t? #MNEarthDay @shawnotto
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:56:34
  52. Funny Thoughts…
  53. Share
    “cows don’t fart carbon dioxide” @shawnotto #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:58:17
  54. Share
    RT @xbryanx: How many of the 3000 questions in the 2008 presidential debate were about climate change? 6. UFO’s? 3! #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 13:09:24
  55. Share
    RT @jmessersmith: .@sciencemuseummn has a huge digital globe with beautiful data visualizations. Even better than the one in Return of the Jedi. #mnearthday
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 12:26:36
  56. What we did
  57. Share

    Watching @KitchPantrySci do her thing at @sciencemuseummn #MNEarthDay http://twitpic.com/9cj9p1
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 16:15:16
  58. Share
    Husband dimmed lights in @sciencemuseummn Science House by holding phone app flashlight in front of lighting sensor. #mnearthday
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 15:17:41
  59. Share

    Awesome! Exhibit design @sciencemuseummn as part of #ProjectNoWaste #MNEarthDay Aiming for 75% waste reduction http://pic.twitter.com/d2YIXvj9
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:44:38
  60. Share
    DYK: Teachers can checkout materials from and study at the Science House #HowCoolisThat #MNEarthDay Open teacher friendly hours 3:30-6 pm
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 15:23:06
  61. Share

    Learning about the flexibility of the outdoor space for messy science @sciencemuseummn #MNEarthDay in the Science Park http://pic.twitter.com/U5TaeMED
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:58:23
  62. Share
    Next up: background tour of #NoWasteProject @sciencemuseummn catering for #MNEarthDay
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 15:32:53
  63. Share

    Compost and recycling @sciencemuseummn #MNEarthDay http://pic.twitter.com/ANEv5DIj
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:28:08
  64. Share

    Having fun and games at @sciencemuseummn #mnearthday http://pic.twitter.com/6geeZYL2
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 16:56:02
  65. Share

    In the Science House @sciencemuseummn that is roofed with solar collecting film on the metal roof #MNEarthDay Wow! http://pic.twitter.com/5N9kosgB
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 14:57:05
  66. Share

    @KitchPantrySci the #MNEarthDay tours have been great! At the Omnimax projection tour now. http://twitpic.com/9ciyr2
    Sat, Apr 21 2012 15:45:53

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ONE:  To find out what people are really talking about — the back story to the news

‘Bonny Bear’ wins two Grammys, confounds populace 

The Grammy’s bore me, so I recorded the 3 1/2 hour show and whizzed through all the stuff I didn’t care to see. I was delighted to hear Bon Iver win and see Justin Vernon accept an award in his groovy Dunderdon suit from St. Paul mens’ shop, BlackBlue.

Reading Twitter, I think I was in the minority; it was hilarious. This is what everyday America really thought, excerpted from Vita.MN:

The real fun came from the Web reactions to Vernon’s unlikely wins, a collective “Who???” from mainstream music fans. A “Who is Bon Iver?” Tumblr page quickly popped up, aggregating tweets and Facebook comments from baffled Grammy viewers. Among the choice entries, from tweeter @riccyGee: “What the fuck is a Bon Iver? Sounds like a fucking appetizer at Red Lobster and shit.” And from @TDice4: “Bon Iver?!? Are you joking me?? Who is that? He looks like a lumberjack, go back to Canada!”

A slightly more adorable meme was spawned from a large crop of confused viewers who seemed to think something called “Bonny Bear” was taking home awards. “This Bonny Bear character needa shoot his barber,” tweeted @KoolAidKleff, in reference to Vernon’s thick, full beard.

TWO:  To bring attention to an issue — #NotBuyingIt — that traditional media skips

I hosted a Super Bowl ad party and a game broke out, to paraphrase a famous quote about Minnesota hockey. The ads were not particularly creative, interesting, or memorable except for their sexism. At least we can always count on GoDaddy.com for that…oh wait Fiat, Kia, BestBuy, and Teleflora, too.

Boos and hisses in my basement echoed on Twitter with the #NotBuyingIt hashtag promoted by Girls For A Change and MissRepresentation and reTweeted and repeated still, today–15 days later, which on Twitter, is a lifetime. However, there was nothing in my progressive, big city local paper.

Here are a couple of choice quotes from the Twittersphere courtesy of MotherJones on Storify:

@Kristennel:  @telaflora @godaddy My 12yo independent, smart, creative daughter is watching now. don’t make me explain your stupidity, pls. #notbuyingit

@gladuem:  Really? A woman’s body is a billboard or a car? My daughter and my wife are not commodities. @GoDaddy #notbuyingit

@katgordon:  Best Buy has great record mktg to women but they featured only men inventors in #brandbowl spot #notbuyingit

@sitcomofmylife:  Women love it when you leer at them. It makes us crawl all over perfect strangers. Wait, no, it makes us feel unsafe. #notbuyingit

THREE: To Break News, To Read it First

Last May working hard on Twitter, I hollered down to my husband, “What’s up with riots in Vancouver?” He had no idea what I meant even though he was watching the Stanley Cup live. So he came upstairs and watched the YouTube video some bystander had posted on Twitter. Of course, network TV eventually picked up the story, but I knew first.

Did it matter? No.

But if someone Tweeted about straight lines whipping across the Twin Cities, I’d run to the basement and then turn on the radio.

News breaks on Twitter sometimes an hour before it’s confirmed in traditional media. On Twitter it spreads virally– I read something and share it with my followers, who do the same and in 10 seconds something can be shared thousands of times.

The key, of course, is confirmation. What makes something real and true? If a journalist Tweets it, I believe it — they’ve proven their reliability. What about the people I “know” only on Twitter, can I trust them?

I use my common sense. Essentially, I believe something if it appears to be an “eye witness account.”

  • Mobile updates
  • Tweets with photos or video
  • Volume of Tweets vs. reTweets

Maybe that’s why my local television station calls their programming “eye witness news.”

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