November 07, 2007
St. Paul Mayor Coleman on the RNC
"The entire city is a free speech zone." So says St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman in this Huffington Post article by MInnesota-based writer Peter Smith, with video from The UpTake.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:17 PM | Comments (1)
November 06, 2007
Are you voting today?
CHUCK SEZ: If you're in Ramsey County, you can vote for school board today. Kevin Riach should be on your radar. He's an upstanding chap going to law school, a former teacher, and a fine drummer. What's the connection between those three things? I already told you: It's Kevin Riach. Now more than ever.
DISCLAIMER: I don't live in Ramsey County, don't know much about schoolin' or lawyerin', and received no moneys or coercion for posting this video. I can spot a good drummer, though.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:40 AM | Comments (1)
November 01, 2007
Robbinsdale referendum
Robbinsdale Area Schools Alumni put together a video promoting their upcoming referendum. Learn more about the referendum.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:56 PM | Comments (0)
October 19, 2007
Citizen Journalism: Now, More Than Ever!
Citizens!
Lay down your ePods and cyberPhones for a moment, and take up the cause of citizen journalism. The health of our democracy is on our hands, and we must pick up our cameras and find the truth(s) out there ourselves. That's what The Uptake is all about - but we need your help. Why? We want to train and equip a legion of citizen journalists to cover events happening in our communities, all leading up to the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention.
Please come down to our fun[d]raiser at the 331 Club on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 3 - 6 PM. You'll get a couple of free beers, good company, citizen videos, and maybe even your own press pass. There's never been a more vital time for us to "be the media."
DONATE ONLINE HERE if you're not local or unable to attend. Thank you so much.
ALSO: Come on down to Solutions Twin Cities on Friday night. It promises to be a night of mind-expanding possibilities. I'll be making a very strange 7-minute presentation about citizen journalism, with some audience interaction. Don't miss it.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:34 AM | Comments (10)
October 17, 2007
Malcolm Gladwell
From Michael Bischoff:
Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point and Blink, comments on the future of crime and justice in Minnesota.
These are excerpts from Gladwell's speech in Minneapolis on 10.9.07. The full speech is available here. The report that he commented on is available at: crimeandjustice.org.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:45 AM | Comments (1)
October 02, 2007
Mike on the Smoking Ban
Mike from Minnesota wants you to know that Adolph Hitler was the first person to ban smoking in bars and restaurants.
Welcome to fresh air, Mike.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:51 AM | Comments (3)
September 29, 2007
Critical Mass Minneapolis
The Uptake was on the scene of Friday's Critical Mass bike ride in Minneapolis. The ride was a huge success – both in number (The Strib says 600) and the lack of arrests or confrontation. The only confrontation we know of is documented here: "The Mercedes Incident."
This video represents a proud accomplishment for The Uptake's networked journalism. We used footage from four cameras here, and we have at least two other folks with their own video. Eventually we'll learn how to be networked for real, whether it's through Twitter, wireless headsets, or other methods we haven't thought of. It's an exciting time to be a citizen journalist, and to be creating original stories like this one.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:21 PM | Comments (4)
September 27, 2007
The AFSCME Union Cavalry
If you want the straight dope on the recent AFSCME negotiations at the University of Minnesota, check out The Uptake and Minnesota Monitor. But how about the much-neglected tap dancing cavalry angle? Look no further, you've found it here on Minnesota Stories.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:02 AM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2007
Protesters at Sen. Coleman's House
Exclusive citizen journalist story from The Uptake:
Peace marchers visited Senator Norm Coleman at his home in St. Paul last weekend. They found him in the alley in the back of his house (photo) and convinced him to chat with the peace supporters in his front yard for about 20 minutes.
Sen. Coleman tried to convince the protesters that he's listening to Minnesotans about the Iraq War, rather than President Bush. They were rightfully skeptical. Notably, Sen. Coleman said "We shouldn't be in the middle of a civil war" in Iraq, though his Senate votes don't reflect that statement.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:55 AM | Comments (2)
September 13, 2007
No Transportation Fix For Minnesota
From Mike Mcintee at The Uptake:
Nearly 6 weeks after the tragic collapse of the I-35W bridge, Minnesota's government still hasn't done anything about its crumbling infrastructure. This morning the Minnesota Legislature finished up a short special session Governor Tim Pawlenty had called to deal with flooding in southern Minnesota. Governor Pawlenty made the legislature promise they would NOT deal with the transportation and bridge problems in the special session.
Why the delay? Governor Pawlenty who in the days after the bridge collapse said he would consider raising the gas tax to fund bridges changed his mind once the national TV cameras left. Now to please his "no new taxes" supporters the Governor wants to delay the issue until next year. In this video from just before the legislature adjourns, MN legislator Phyllis Kahn, whose district includes the bridge, talks about the frustration of not solving the problem.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:29 AM | Comments (1)
September 03, 2007
KARE 11 on Critical Mass Arrests
Via Tony. Here's his livejournal post on the incident.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:39 AM | Comments (1)
September 01, 2007
Critical Mass police confrontation
From YouTube user adepter: "august 31 2007 cops tackling girl doing nothing but riding on bike and cop spraying unarmed non-violent bystanders"
Here's another video and more links/discussion at MNspeak. Steve Marsh has a great account as well.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:28 PM | Comments (0)
August 14, 2007
Karl Rove Resigns: Reaction
Karl Rove resigned... Chuck is devastated.
This breaking news brought to you by The Uptake
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:14 AM | Comments (0)
August 08, 2007
YearlyKos Report
Today's video simulcast on Rocketboom.
Hillary and Obama, lefties and geeks. They were all at the YearlyKos progressive blogger convention, along with new journalism movers and shakers like Jay Rosen. There was a strong MInnesota contingent, including Mark Gisleson from Norwegianity, Robin Marty and Abdi Aynte from Minnesota Monitor, and Rob Levine of Cursor.org.
Jason Barnett and I were there videotaping everything and everyone we could for The Uptake, a new video citizen journalism project. There you'll find lots of full-length interviews, my travel diary video, and more to come.
If you're interested in picking up a digital camera and covering political events, shoot me an email.
Oh, and do us a favor? Add The Uptake to your blogroll and help spread the word. We're in the mood for link-love. Oh, yeah.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:15 AM | Comments (6)
July 23, 2007
MN Question on the CNN/YouTube debate
Did you watch the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate? If so, you saw this question from Marcus Bentsen, filmed by The Uptake at a downtown Minneapolis bus stop. While the idea of presidential candidates taking questions from YouTube is very forward-thinking and democratic, not everyone has access to a video camera and broadband. The Uptake set out to bring more people into the process by filming questions from people on the street and posting them on YouTube. We're absolutely thrilled they chose one of those questions in the debate.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 08:33 PM | Comments (1)
July 18, 2007
DFL Message to Sen. Norm Coleman
The Minnesota DFL held a press conference on the eve of an all-night Iraq War debate in the U.S. Senate. Their message to Sen. Norm Coleman: "Abandon the president’s failed war strategy and allow an up-or-down vote on a binding timeline for bringing the troops home by April 2008."
This video is just the tip of the iceberg (avalanche?) for a new citizen journalism video project I'm helping launch. It's called The Uptake, and we ask: Will journalism be done by you, or to you?
Raw video from this press conference and an additional interview will be available soon on theuptake.org and on The Uptake's YouTube channel.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:53 AM | Comments (2)
May 21, 2007
Immigration officials in Minneapolis
Twin Cities Daily Planet reports that U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents may have been working with Minneapolis police Saturday afternoon. In this video from Immigrant Rights Now, you can see an ICE agent apparently questioning a young Latino man while community members tell the young man to remain silent.
UPDATE:
25 indicted in alleged 'major prostitution ring' in Twin Cities (Star Tribune)
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:32 AM | Comments (2)
May 14, 2007
Climate Porn
Minnesota House Deputy Republican Leader Tom Emmer gives us his take on climate science. (Hat tip: Aaron Landry)
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2007
Peace protest @ Sen. Coleman's office
Here's some first-hand cellphone camera footage from the peace protest at Sen. Norm Coleman's office. Read more and see photos of a peace nun in handcuffs at Ella Goes.
Related Links:
Buzz.mn: Protest, Minnesota style
Pioneer Press: War protesters removed from Coleman's office
Minnesota Monitor: Who Owns the J-Word? Videoblogger's Jailing Raises Questions for Journalists
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 06:44 AM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2007
Rep. John Kline on Tuition and Taxes
Mike McIntee, the producer of Inside Minnesota Politics, attended Congressman John Kline's Town Hall meeting. In spite of a tightly controlled environment, McIntee was one of at least 7 camera-toting citizen journalists at the meeting.
Mike writes: In response to a question from a college student about tuition costs, Congressman Kline said he was looking for ways to bring college costs down, but he didn't have any solutions and would welcome some. Be careful what you ask for, the student offered a solution.
RELATED LINK:
Minnesota Monitor, Kline Town Hall Marked by Passion, Not Bitterness
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:36 AM | Comments (3)
February 16, 2007
Rep. Tim Walz on the Iraq Resolution
Rep. Tim Walz speaking in favor of House Resolution 157 disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.
Six of Minnesota's eight representatives voted in favor of the resolution. Rep. John Kline and Rep. Michele Bachmann voted against it.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:44 PM | Comments (0)
Rep. Keith Ellison on the Iraq Resolution
Rep. Keith Ellison speaking in favor of House Resolution 157 disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.
Six of Minnesota's eight representatives voted in favor of the resolution. Rep. John Kline and Rep. Michele Bachmann voted against it.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:01 PM | Comments (2)
February 07, 2007
Wellstone 1990 Campaign
The folks at Hard Working Pictures have posted excerpts from their documentary film Wellstone! on YouTube. Here's the first of 3 parts about Paul's 1990 campaign; watch the rest here.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2007
Blogumentary: Local politics
A Minnesota-flavored excerpt from my documentary film Blogumentary, which is now available for download in its entirety on Google Video.
It documents the rise of political and personal blogs, from the early days up through the Iraq War and Dan Rather's downfall - not to mention sweet blog love. Features interviews with Jason Kottke, Jeff Jarvis, John Hinderaker, Joe Trippi, Rebecca Blood, David Weinberger, Odin Soli (Plain Layne), my mom, my girlfriend, and myself.
(digg it!)
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 08:54 PM | Comments (2)
January 25, 2007
Protest
A protest against the Iraq War, and specifically the troop surge.
Downtown Minneapolis, 1/12/07
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 07:14 AM | Comments (2)
January 04, 2007
Keith Ellison Meets Virgil Goode
Via TPMmuckraker:
Best Friends Forever?
Just now on MSNBC, I saw Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) make his way over to introduce himself to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA), whose back is to the camera. And that's Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) looking on as the Muslim-fearing Goode shakes hands with the House's first elected Muslim.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:08 PM | Comments (1)
December 30, 2006
On the Road Moments with Edwards
Hello friends! As you may have noticed, Minnesota Stories was taking a nap between Xmas and New Years. During that time I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel with and film presidential candidate John Edwards.
We began in New Orleans, then on to a town meeting in Des Moines, Iowa and finally New Hampshire. That's where I got off and returned home. Here are a few odd random moments edited together on the plane. Enjoy, and watch for proper videos and interviews on Rocketboom and YouTube.
RELATED LINKS:
Steve Garfield video: Behind the Scenes: John Edwards, YouTube and the Campaign Website
Washington Post: Edwards, Now Seasoned, Elbows His Way Into the Field
Flickr snapshots from the trip
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 06:38 PM | Comments (8)
November 10, 2006
Michael Brodkorb interview
More election night coverage from Republican HQ. Here's a quick chat with G.R. Anderson from City Pages and an interview with Michael Brodkorb from Minnesota Democrats Exposed. Enjoy!
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 06:08 AM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2006
Jason Lewis on Election Night
Twin Cities talk show host Jason Lewis has an honest assessment of Republicans in the mid-term election. He's interviewed by Paul Demko from City Pages.
ANOTHER ELECTION NIGHT VIDEO:
G.R. Anderson interviews Dan McElroy, Advisor to Gov. Pawlenty
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:03 AM | Comments (1)
November 08, 2006
Mark Kennedy concession speech
Minnesota Stories was at Republican election headquarters, covering the event for City Pages. We'll have more edited video this week. For now, here's raw footage of Mark Kennedy's concession speech.
RELATED LINK: MPR: Klobuchar races to easy victory in Senate race
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 10:31 AM | Comments (2)
November 07, 2006
Vote
I wanted to tape Vlog Santa voting today, but here's the next best thing: A speech by Mark Ritchie, running for Secretary of State.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 10:34 AM | Comments (1)
October 30, 2006
Howard Dean @ U of M
Howard Dean visited the University of Minnesota campus on October 19, 2006. Here's the entire speech.
Arianne Huffington takes Dean to task.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:26 AM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2006
Keith Ellison Interview
SHARE IT:
Amanda Congdon interviews U.S. Congressional candidate Keith Ellison. She asks him about the beautiful chaos we call the blogosphere. Watch for screenshots from your local favorites - Minnesota Democrats Exposed and MN Publius.
Perhaps more significantly, Amanda asks Keith about what book he'd be sworn in on if elected to congress.
(Disclaimer, etc: I produced the online video ad discussed in this interview for the Ellison campaign. Also, they discussed the environment but loud plane noise made that portion of the interview diffucult to hear.)
NEXT WEEK we have some funny, funny videos sent in by y'all. Keep 'em coming and have a great weekend.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:19 PM | Comments (2)
October 12, 2006
Michele Bachmann on Global Warming
What's her stance? Hmm. I'll give you one guess. Via MNspeak and Wonkette.
MORE BACHMANN VIDEO: Michele Bachmann Movies
Sorry we've been light in videos this week. Every ounce of my video mojo has been poured into Amanda Across America (watch for a Keith Ellison interview and more next week) and the BRAND SPANKING NEW JUST LAUNCHED web site for Mpls St Paul magazine, mspmag.com. Woot!
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:51 PM | Comments (4)
October 07, 2006
World Can't Wait Protest
Here's a short clip from the World Can't Wait protest in Minneapolis on October 5, 2006. Looks like a big turnout. I couldn't locate any local news coverage.
From YouTube user phreakmac.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)
October 05, 2006
Investigative Report: Mark Kennedy Ad
Thought I forgot, did you? No, just very busy - mostly editing the fine videos you should watch at AmandaAcrossAmerica.
Here is a rather long look at how easy and legal it is to find and watch campaign videos on the web site of Mark Kennedy's ad maestro, Scott Howell. Here's the backstory if that makes no sense to you. Incidentally, most of the videos and web pages referenced in this video have since been taken down, though only today I discovered another video publicly available and easily findable on archive.org. That particular video poops out after a few seconds, but it sure makes me feel like clearing some brush.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:24 PM | Comments (7)
September 21, 2006
Investigative Report: Sneak Peak
The hot story today: Klobuchar aide loses job for viewing leaked Kennedy ad. [Video: WCCO] Local blogger Noah Kunin went looking for past ads from Scott Howell, who makes ads for the Mark Kennedy campaign. Noah found a Kennedy ad that hadn't been released yet. I'll show you just how easy and legal it is to find video ads on the unsecure Scott Howell web site - coming soon.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:25 AM | Comments (7)
September 13, 2006
Keith Ellison Victory
Keith Ellison has won the Fifth District DFL race. Here's a little taste of the victory party.
RELATED LINKS:
Pioneer Press
Minnesota Daily
New York Times
Associated Press
CQPolitics.com
The Nation
Blog of the Moderate Left
The Insomnia Report
Mercury Rising
nihilix
minvolved
Letters to the Wild Blue Yonder
Lost Forest After Dark
American Hot Sausage
Power Line
John Wayne of Today's Minnesota
RELATED VIDEO:
Much better video of Ellison victory party
How Can We Make America Better? featuring Amirah Ellison
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 07:29 AM | Comments (6)
September 11, 2006
Bloggers on 9/11
When the world changed on Sept. 11, 2001, the web changed with it. Phone lines and news sites were overloaded, so many people turned to the first-hand reports of blogs. And, as Dan Gillmor said, bloggers may have written the first draft of history on that day.
September 11 came up in several blogger interviews for the film Blogumentary. Here are a few excerpts. The first is with the Minnesota conservative bloggers at Power Line. We started out talking about Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, which led to Iraq, which finally led to 9/11. The next interview is with Jeff Jarvis, who explains how his blog was born out of his first-hand experience of the attacks. Lastly, we hear a bit from then-New York blogger Anil Dash, who writes today of his sadness for hope lost.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 07:53 AM | Comments (0)
September 08, 2006
Central Corridor
The heavily-trafficked, 11-mile Central Corridor is the crucial transit artery connecting our twin cities. The Central Corridor Coordinating Committee voted at their June 6, 2006, meeting that light rail transit be the locally preferred alternative for the Central Corridor. However, not everyone agrees with that assessment. Sheldon Gitis [sgitis-at-yahoo.com] writes:
I have been documenting meetings, hearings and other public events surrounding the Central Corridor Project since last January. I have many hours of footage that I think convincingly shows how current plans to put a train down the middle of University Avenue are remarkable similar to past highway construction projects which were run through low-income neighborhoods.
The attached clips are from a public hearing that took place at Central High School in St. Paul.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 10:11 AM | Comments (3)
September 04, 2006
How Can We Make America Better?
I went down to the Minnesota State Fair with 10 year-old Amirah and we asked people, "How can we make America better?" Amirah's dad is Keith Ellison, running for U.S. Congress. We wanted to talk to real people for his campaign ad. This is the "director's cut" version, with bloopers and responses from everyone who talked to us on camera.
Watch the official Keith Ellison for Congress campaign ad here.
Copy and paste on your blog:
More options: Blip.tv, YouTube, Google video
Disclaimer: I was paid to make the official campaign ad by Keith Ellison for Congress. This longer version I did on my own, because that's how I do.
RELATED VIDEO: Keith Ellison environmental press conference
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:28 AM | Comments (14)
August 24, 2006
Had Enough? (Sing-a-long)
CHUCK SEZ: Warning, entertaining lefty propoganda ahead! Why is it that primarily lefties produce independent film and video? (A notable exception being local filmmaker Michael Wilson.) In the interest of balance, I challenge local righties to send in a short political video. Until then, please enjoy this video from Mike Mcintee, who writes:
Time to throw rascal John Kline out of Congress and elect an Agent of Change--Coleen Rowley in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District. John Kline has voted with George Bush 94% of the time. He's supported the occupation of Iraq, illegal wiretaps, taken tainted money from corrupt Congressman Tom Delay and supports and gets money from the big oil companies. More info on John Kline at http://www.dumpjohnkline.blogspot.com. More on Coleen Rowley at http://www.coleenrowley.com.
Sing along...we know you've had enough!
Permission for use of music by the Squirrel Nut Zippers & Rickie Lee Jones from Executive Producer Howie Klein. Produced without the help of any campaign or any party.
CONTRIBUTOR: Michael McIntee of Stronger DFL and Inside Minnesota Politics
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:43 PM | Comments (9)
August 21, 2006
From Beirut to... those who love us
This isn't local... or is it?
Even if you don't have any Lebanese-American friends in Minnesota (as I do), perhaps you've eaten at Emily's Lebanese Deli and seen those faded posters on the wall of a beautiful country. How much of that is still standing?
SOURCE: beirutletters.org, via Adam Sekular
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:38 AM | Comments (6)
August 17, 2006
Kids in the Courtyard
Multi-disciplinary solo theater artist Heidi Arneson engages inmates at Ramsey County Correctional Facility in a workshop called Direct Action. Now Heidi is taking her theater workshop into the courtyard - working with kids from immigrant families in Minneapolis.
CONTRIBUTOR: Michael Bischoff
RELATED VIDEO: Prison Theater
UNRELATED VIDEO: Sound Unseen 2006 trailer
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:40 AM | Comments (4)
June 06, 2006
Nata Village
Videoblogs, change the world? Just maybe. This is an interview with world traveller Jon Rawlinson, who setup the Nata Village blog in Botswana.
This was done for Rocketboom and is slated to appear there Wednesday. Donate to Nata if you're able.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:16 AM | Comments (7)
May 17, 2006
Investigative Report: Amy's Record
Today, Minnesota Stories goes deep undercover to investigate an "attack" web site called Amy's Corner, purporting to lay out the real record of Amy Klobuchar. We set the record straight.
RELATED LINKS:
Klobuchar: Hennepin County Attorney, U.S. Senate candidate
Star Tribune: New attack web site takes aim at Klobuchar
Star Tribune cached article: Klobuchar's work with staff is focus of a union battle
Mark Kennedy for U.S. Senate
Ford Bell for U.S. Senate
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 08:09 AM | Comments (11)
May 03, 2006
Kos @ 331 Club
Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, creator of the influential lefty blog Daily Kos, has co-written a new book called Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-powered Politics. Here's a bit of dark video from his Q&A at Drinking Liberally, just a couple blocks from my house at the 331 Club.
The Power Liberal has a roundup of Zúniga's visit. "The Wege" was nearly the subject of an interview, but my tape and battery simultaneously ran out. I suspect the NSA is to blame.
RELATED VIDEO: Joe Trippi interview, 2004
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:14 AM | Comments (2)
April 20, 2006
Al Franken for Senate?
Will he or won't he? After watching Al Franken come out swinging from the heart at Saint John's University, he certainly seems to be priming himself for a U.S. Senate campaign. There were a lot of supporters in the audience, and at least a few Republicans. There were no announcements though - he's still testing the waters.
If you want to get a behind-the-scenes look, check out Al Franken: God Spoke. One of my personal documentary luminaries directed the film: Chris Hegedus, (The War Room, Startup.com).
PIMP ALERT! Minnesota Stories gets a nice mention in the May issue of WIRED magazine, courtesy of Rocketboom's Amanda Congdon. Woohoo!
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:32 AM | Comments (5)
April 04, 2006
Becky Lourey
Meet Becky Lourey. We try to avoid stump speeches here on Minnesota Stories. But this speech is from a gubernatorial candidate I wasn't familiar with, in the intimacy of a lovely dome home. She's also earned the full endorsement of frequent MN Stories contributor Karina.
What do you think - will she give Mike Hatch a run for the money?
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:42 AM | Comments (3)
March 27, 2006
Whitney Grand Opening
Nearly two months ago, we got a chance to peek inside the historic building once known as the Standard Mill and, later, the Whitney Hotel [video]. The space has undergone an exquisite transformation in those two months. Witness the grand opening of the Whitney Landmark Residences.
Okay, it's more complicated than that. I was expecting this followup video to be a fluffy tour of the luxurious model units, perhaps have a little fun with how out of place I am in such grandiosity. When we arrived there were a number of labor union representatives outside the hotel demonstrating against the labor practices of the developers. As you'll see in the video, their beef with the Whitney is that during the demolition phase, the subcontractor allegedly paid non-union workers $6/hour cash and were not working in safe conditions. The developer claims no knowledge of workers paid in cash, says that OSHA was on-site regularly, and that hiring some non-union labor is an economic necessity.
This is a complicated issue, and I don't pretend to have any expertise. It's certainly worth more investigation. I'm curious to know: Are any of the "unskilled" laborers undocumented immigrants? Is this part of the larger underground immigrant economy?
RAW INTERVIEW FOOTAGE:
Alan Kearney, Laborers District Council of MN and ND
Michael Roess, Coldwell Banker Burnet / iMetroProperties
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:03 AM | Comments (10)
February 22, 2006
Happy (Belated) Presidents Day
I know, this is two days late. But don't you think zombies and kittens are more important?
Here is George W. Bush's campaign bus trip to Minnesota in 2004 (source). His folksiness is on overdrive in this campaign video. I can almost see why Minnesota likes him more than any other blue state.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:09 AM | Comments (5)
February 01, 2006
SOTU Reaction
This year's State of the Union was actually fairly compelling. That didn't stop us from drinking and taking cheap shots. If you have a video rebuttal, email story@mnstories.com. Or just unleash in the comments, that's much easier.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:37 AM | Comments (20)
January 20, 2006
VoxPop: Why is President Bush...
Today is VoxPop, short for vox populi, "voice of the people." I asked people of all stripes one slightly loaded question in downtown Minneapolis. Everyone who responded is in this video, save for one victim of equipment failure.
I was hoping for more diversity of reaction, but hardly anyone found much good to say about President Bush. I had the hardest time getting older white guys in suits to stop and talk. Maybe I should try Apple Valley next time? Suburbanites with cameras, email me. We need you.
Check out reaction to the same question from all around the country (plus Germany!) in today's Rocketboom episode.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:22 AM | Comments (18)
January 11, 2006
Iraq Candlelight Service
Chuck T. reminds us not to forget the human cost of war, or that liberals are indeed found with their families in churches.
Check out his newly revived blog translator. Good stuff there, boiling down the news into their core elements, from a lefty perspective of course.
(I'm still waiting for a conservative-leaning video, but so far no takers.)
CONTRIBUTOR: Chuck T. + Alex + Ella, EllaGoes.com
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:59 AM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2005
One Little Vote
Democracy doesn't work unless people can participate. Here's a story of one Ramsey County woman's difficulties voting last November.
CONTRIBUTOR: Mark Wojahn, What America Needs
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:25 AM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2005
Ethiopians Protest Carter
"President Jimmy Carter was at a book signing tour on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at the Barnes & Noble, Edina at which he was greeted by angry demonstrators over his center's early pronouncement of the polls in favor of the ruling party. Carter center was one of the election observing bodies and is remembered to have issued a report declaring the ruling party the winner of the 2005 [election] despite the larger EU observer missions preliminary report that cast major doubt and declared the elections “not free and not fair” when gauged against widely accepted international standards.
Most of the demonstrators are sympathizers of the major opposition, Coalition for Unity and Democracy. CUD contested the results of the elections and boycotted Parliament until the government meets eight preconditions which, according to demonstrators would have ushered the independent institutions necessary for a stable democratic system. Following the first session of parliament, unrest claimed the lives of at least 45 civilian lives and the arrest of 15,000 people including the imprisonment of all of CUD’s leadership."
RELATED LINKS:
Voice of America petition
Gateway Pundit: Jimmy Carter Backtracks
EthioIndex
CONTRIBUTOR: Biruk, an Ethiopian videographer in Minneapolis.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:43 AM | Comments (10)
November 07, 2005
Iraq Vet: Andrew
On August 19, 2004, Sen. Max Cleland visited the Minnesota State Capitol to speak at a veterans rally. Before he spoke, a very disillusioned marine named Andrew spoke his mind about the Iraq War he fought in, and how badly it's been bungled since he marched into Baghdad.
I'm hoping to interview some Minnesota National Guard men and women who've served in Iraq. Not from any particular angle, but simply to hear their stories and views.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:52 PM | Comments (3)
September 14, 2005
Minneapolis Primary
Follow Chuck and Lori as they vote in the Minneapolis Mayoral Primary. Looks like Rybak won Minneapolis and Coleman beat out Kelly in St. Paul. Did you vote?
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 09:18 AM | Comments (7)
August 31, 2005
State Fair: Robert Fitzgerald
I'd never heard of independent U.S. Senate candidate Robert Fitzgerald before seeing his banner ad appear on MNspeak (which Minnesota Stories later inhereted). It turns out he's quite the pinball enthusiast, he's into blogs, and he converted his campaign bus to run on vegetable oil. But what does he stand for? You'll have a better idea after watching this here internet video.
RELATED ARTICLE: Fergus Falls Daily Journal, Fitzgerald plans run at U.S. Senate
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 06:21 AM | Comments (2)
August 29, 2005
Minneapolis to Crawford
Cindy Sheehan's plight resonated strongly with Minneapolis mom Alex. She and her young daughter Ella journeyed from Minneapolis to Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas and shot some video. This footage is from Aug 12-13, 2005. The whole family is down there now and you can follow along at EllaGoes.typepad.com.
CONTRIBUTOR: Chuck T.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:31 AM | Comments (5)
August 25, 2005
Minneapolis Mayoral Mayhem
You might think a mayoral debate would be boring. I did. I was wrong.
This video, to me, shows the power of democracy and democratized media. None of the local television cameras were there (except, importantly, MTN cable access). Marcus Harcus stood up and demanded to be heard. One thing he yells from the balcony is "How come the media doesn't give equal access to all the candidates?" Good question. The system is not setup for outsiders, or for people without much money. Marcus and Fareen radically changed the terms of this mayoral debate, and it sent shivers down my spine. I decided then and there that this videoblog will be dedicated - in part - to giving a louder voice to people you don't see on TV. The power of media is in everyone's hands. Let's use it.
RELATED LINKS:
Strib: Surprises jolt Minneapolis mayoral debate
Strib: Obscure mayoral hopefuls get noticed
Marcus Harcus for Mayor of Minneapolis
Farheen Hakeem for Mayor of Minneapolis
RT Rybak for Mayor
Peter Mclaughlin for Mayor
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:00 PM | Comments (15)
July 28, 2005
Local E-Democracy
This week, Minneapolis hosted the International Symposium on Local E-Democracy. Folks came from around the world to share best practices on how to bring government and democracy into the networked electronic age. The event could have no better host than Steven Clift, whose many accomplishments include Minnesota E-democracy and the Minneapolis Issues Forum. Here are a few highlights from day one.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 07:48 AM | Comments (7)
July 22, 2005
It's About Power.
Where do you get your power? Here in the Twin Cities, it's from Xcel Energy. But you probably didn't know Xcel is one of the largest buyers of power from hydroelectric dams in Manitoba. It's sold as "Green" energy, but thousands of acres of pristine wilderness have been flattened by flooding so we can keep our air conditioners on. The result: Destruction of a way of life for the Cree communities that survived on those lands.
This video is a sneak peek at the forthcoming documentary Green Green Water and features music from Cloud Cult. More video clips are available on the film's videoblog.
CONTRIBUTORS: Dawn Mikkelson and Jamie Lee, Aquaries Media
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:43 AM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2005
Gang
In November 2002, a stray bullet hit 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards in her living room. Gang violence was to blame. Was it the only cause?
CONTRIBUTOR: Media Mike Hazard, The Center for International Education
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:43 AM | Comments (6)
July 12, 2005
Minneapolis Crime Meeting
Violent crime is on the rise in Minneapolis. The police held a public meeting in Northeast Minneapolis to address the concerns of Third Ward residents. Chief among them, Mayor Rybak and Police Chief McManus' STOP program which pulls officer hours from neighborhoods and applies them to crime "hot spots" such as North Minneapolis. The consensus from citizens was that more cops are needed in our neighborhoods, not less. All sides agreed there aren't enough resources, with several people blaming Governor Pawlenty for the shortfalls in Local Government Aid (LGA).
Watch the entire meeting [65 min. Quicktime, 66MB]
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)