Get out that ipod, and upload the latest Flak Radio segment — or upload all of them and catch up. James Norton, former producer of The Al Franken Show, and Taylor Carik, journalist and man-about-town, interview guest hosts, discuss Flak Magazine stories and crazy stuff they find on the internet, and end each segment with — my favorite part — Joel Meyer’s “What Was the Theme?” Can you figure it out? Probably not. It’s never that obvious.
Year: 2007
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Sailor Martin Takes Toyko Film World by Storm
Our favorite, foul-mouthed, tattoed puppet, Sailor Martin, stars in this remix of the 1962 horror film The Manster.
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It's 1994, and Cheeney Says No to War
Watch and listen as Cheeney explains why it’s a bad idea to invade Baghdad. Hey, I buy it. Now why didn’t he? What he knew back in 1994, he seems to have forgotten.
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Strib-Watch: The Whacking Continues …
You’ve all heard of the half-dozen sweet old ladies at the Star Tribune switchboard let go in … what was that? Round 5? of “right-sizing” (TM: Par Ridder) … then came the end of what was no doubt an outrageously expensive deal paying mentally handicapped people to run errands around the building.
Today’s instant-whackings (they’re gone a week from today) include five of eight tech shop (IT) employees and ten building maintenance employees.
Avista Capital Partners continues to fight for the full employment and splendid compensation of Mr. Ridder.
Here is today’s death knell memo from Strib Guild officers:
THE CUTS CONTINUE: Reports from other unions at the Strib
You see them often — eight savvy techs who help solve computer and other technical problems in the newsroom and elsewhere. Those eight IT workers are members of our CWA local (but not our Star Tribune Guild unit). (Erik Crane may be the IT we see most often in the newsroom.)
Our union learned this week that the publisher is eliminating five of the techs’ jobs. They have until noon Aug. 24 to apply for buyouts similar to those taken recently by newsroom departees. Both those applying and those who may face layoffs if there aren’t enough volunteers will learn their jobs’ fate that very afternoon, and those departing will leave by early September.
Two of their jobs are protected under their contract, and the company apparently will hang onto a third position.
Having been through the cutback mill, we feel for them. And we’re also wondering: Who will we call when tech problems pop up, as they surely will? The answer is unclear.
THEN THERE ARE THE JANITORS…
More cutbacks are also coming in Building Services, we have learned. The company is shooting for 10 buyouts from among the group of Strib maintenance workers represented by the SEIU union. Our friends the janitors tell us that if the company doesn’t get that many buyouts, it is considering forcing people to go part-time, which could mean loss of their benefits.
We feel for them. And again, we wonder — who will do the work if people and hours are cut? We’re checking into reports that some of our fellow Strib unions have been told they’ll be doing their own cleaning after the maintenance cutbacks, and are protesting with grievances.
Which leads us to ask, rhetorically at least: What next?
Your unit officers
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Turn Yourself into a Simpson
Why let Homer have all the fun? Join the Simpsons family. Simpsonize yourself at simponizeme.com. Just upload your photo and watch the transformation. If you don’t like what you see, you can make a few changes — add glasses, perhaps a tattoo, change your body type, give yourself a groovy do. Careful, you could waste a lot of time doing very little here.
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Do the First-Ever Thang
FESTIVAL
AfriFest
It’s a first-ever kind of weekend, folks. I always enjoy first-evers, even when they’re a bit on the lame side. First-evers are always interesting when you focus on the response, or lack thereof. And, hell, some of them are just great. Enough! This weekend is the first-ever AfriFest, and I think it’s about time. When are we going to start a Puerto Rican Parade? See, that’s a funny first-ever — cuatro pela gatos…not too too many of us here — though always a lot more than we imagine. And, for reasons of solidarity, of shared experience, and for the more practical demand for numbers, the AfriFest aims to bring together Africans, Africans, Hispanics, Asians, and other diverse audience. This isn’t just one of those informal, unorganized events where you get together in a park to eat some faintly ethnic food on the grass with the boom box blaring from the pavilion (although, with the right people, this can be quite fabulous). No, we’re talking fashion shows, performances, artists and artisans, vendors of all kinds, including food, of course. Head for the Grand Opening this evening. Catch a whole slew of performances — from Ethiopian hip-hop to Liberian R&B, with a little Afro-Puerto Rican soul, of course — tomorrow night at the Cedar, and be sure to head to Currie Park on Sunday for the more Festival-y part of the Fest — historical displays, a fashion show, a community mural, and more performances.Friday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Club Afrika, 9510 West River Rd., Brooklyn Park; 763-639-5001/763-228-9685; $15, $25 VIP (treats, special VIP area, and parking).
Saturday at 7 p.m., The Cedar, 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-338-2674; $10.
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Currie Park, Cedar/Riverside Community, 1419 5th St. S., Minneapolis; 612-230-6400.
FILM
The Invasion
What is it about Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Granted, this was one of the iconic B-movie masterpieces, a spine-tingling and all-too-real allegory of both ’50s conformity and the rise of Communism. But unlike other sci-fi films of the period, the remakes have boasted talent up the wazoo. The ’70s version brought acclaimed director Philip Kaufman onboard with Donald Sutherland (who was considered an A-list actor at the time). This latest version, simply titled The Invasion, is set in the present day and helmed by German director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Best Foreign Language Film nominee for The Downfall) and stars Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and the new Bond, Daniel Craig, to boot. It could make for a dynamite drive-in feature and a thought-provoking night out. –by Peter SchillingMUSIC
The Steve Miller Band band is playing at the Grand Casino Hinckley Amphitheater tonight, so that’s always on option. But there are a couple good options right here in town as well.
Kelly Willis
Translated From Love, Willis’s first CD in five years (Christmas collections don’t count), shrewdly acknowledges that after four kids and five previous discs, she’s too shiny for cultdom and too prickly for stardom, and aims to please nobody but herself. “I Must Be Lucky” would go platinum if you told C&W jocks it was by Shania Twain. There are also at least a couple of guilty pleasures for classic rockers and a tearjerker or two worthy of Bonnie Raitt or Lucinda Williams. Whether she’s straddling or hop-scotching genres, Willis retains that angelic catch in her voice, hires ace musicians for accompaniment, and eliminates self-consciousness from your listening experience. But she gives herself away by butchering the David Bowie/Iggy Pop number, “Success.” –by Britt RobsonFriday at 8 p.m., Fine Line Music Cafe, 318 First Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-338-8100; $18.
Sopranorama
Tonight three highly-respected vocalists let their hair down at Sopranorama VI. Janis Hardy, Maria Jette, and Molly Sue McDonald might be known to Twin Cities audiences for their work in classical music, opera, and musical theatre, but Sopranarama is emphatically not highbrow. In the course of the performance they could cover everything from pop songs to arias to show tunes to torch songs… all while accompanied by nothing more than piano and accordion. See them this weekend or next. –by Danielle KurtzlebenFriday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p,m., Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-340-1725; $24.
SHOPPING
Yard Sale for PeaceWhat better way to support peace than to shop? Hmmm. Interesting theory. But you should definitely head out this Saturday to the MN Anti-War Committee Yard Sale for Peace. Buy cool used stuff for a good cause. And if you want to drop off items for the sale, as a donation, stop by the church with your items between six and eight on Friday night.
Saturday from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., Bethany Lutheran Church, 2511 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis.
FESTIVAL
Bon OdoriLooking for something interesting to do on Sunday? Head to the Como Zoo for the Japanese Lantern Lighting Festival. The family-friendly festival, reminiscent of Japan’s annual Obon holiday, will encompass Japanese tradition — through music, dance, crafts, martial arts, and lanterns. Entertainment will include taiko drumming, kotos (Japanese sitars), shakuhachis (bamboo flutes), and martial arts demonstrations.
Sunday at 4 p.m., Como Zoo, 1225 Estabrook Dr., St. Paul; 651-487-8200 $5, families $10.
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Teasers
Thursday, sigh. Hell week persists. And, worst of all, these scrumptious little teasers keep cropping up in my inbox. First it was the Jeffery Cambell “Mabel” Bootie at left (from Nordstrom – thanks to Alexis at Lola Red for pointing it out – this might be appropriate footwear for Glamorama). And, then it was a promotional email from Net-a-porter proclaiming: The skirt is back! “Whether the mini or the swing.” Well, hallelujah. -
Sunday: Peruvian Dinner Benefit for Jazz 88 FM
Peruvian-American chef Rachel Rubin, whose culinary credits include creative work at the Loring Cafe, Chino Latino, Tiburon and Bobino, will present a five-course Peruvian diner this Sunday, August 19 at the LeDuc Historic Estate in Hastings. Courses include anticuchos (grilled skewers of beef), papas a la Huanciana (a Peruvian potato salad), seviche of corvina marinated in lime juice, arroz ahaufa con mariscos, a seafood stir-fry with fresh ginger, garlic and scallions, and flan for dessert. Pisco sours will be served with the appetizers; selected wines with the other courses.
The event, billed as An Evening of Peruvian Artistry, will also feature music by Peruvian guitarist Andres Prado, and a reading by poet Paloma La Hoz.
The 5 p.m. seating is already sold out, but there are a few places left for the 8 p.m. seating. Cost is $50, with proceeds benefiting Jazz 88, KBEM-FM. To register, or for more information, go to the Jazz 88 website, and click on Restaurantour, or call Kevin Barnes at 612-529-5236. -
Weekly Standard Week on The Daily Show
When I saw the front page flag on yesterday’s Wall Street Journal — the one that said, “Why We Need More Dick Cheney” — I thought my favorite WSJ contrarian troll was at it again. If you follow the Journal’s Op-Ed page, you know it is populated — exclusively — by some of the eeriest, most in-bred cultural reactionaries American journalism has ever produced. And that is saying something.
But among them, deputy editor Dan Henninger is my hands-down favorite. The guy had to be last picked at kick-ball. My list of all time favorite Henninger syllogisms would have to include the time he dared gay-marriage advocates to prove that what they wanted wouldn’t lead to people, (most likely gay liberal Democrats) to eventually demand to be allowed to marry snakes … like a woman in India did. (Link is here, scroll to the bottom.)
Anyway, sorry to ramble, but it turns out Henninger was NOT the author of the “Damn, That Dick Cheney is a Smart Guy” Op-Ed. No, the piece was written by Cheney’s approved biographer, Stephen Hayes, who, just like Lindsay Lohan on Leno, has something new to sell, in this case his latest book, “Cheney: The Untold Story of America’s Most Powerful and Controversial Vice-President”. Hayes writes for the ultra-conservative Weekly Standard and Cheney himself has referred to his previous work asserting the ties between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein several times as proof enough that … Cheney’s … epic fiasco in the Middle East isn’t rooted in either fraud or incompetence. (Here’s the counter-point to Hayes’ assertions.)
Here’s a bit more on Stephen Hayes.
So … imagine my surprise when Hayes turns up on Jon Stewart’s show last night … only a couple days after his boss, Weekly Standard editor and uber-neo-con, William Kristol, had been on.
My point — and don’t you wish I’d get to it? — was the demeanor and tenor Stewart displayed in the presence of both men, neither of whom would ever be considered fellow-travelers. Here is Stewart with Hayes, and here is Stewart with Kristol.
In the context of … the myriad problems with mainstream media … it by now a cliche to point to Stewart and say, “Look, damn it. This isn’t so tough. Ask these questions in this way.” Point being that Stewart understands that O’Reilly-style head-knocking offends the sensibilities of his audience. Bellicose name-calling and boorish grandstanding not only is off-putting to anyone with an adult brain, but it is utterly valueless in terms of asserting or ascertaining any truth.
In fairness to Kristol and Hayes, both understand, like a liberal tip-toeing on to O’Reilly’s set, that they are probably not going to have the last word in this fight. But, unlike the usual “adversarial” pin-cushions on O’Reilly-like acts, both also knew that Stewart, despite profound disagreement, was going treat them with civility befitting … a guest.
I was thinking of this because there has been some talk around town of trying to set up a liberal/conservative face-off website for the Twin Cities, where readers/viewers could, you know, maybe get a better idea of who is dealing with reality and who isn’t? As in: An actual honest debate. This strikes some lefties as a complete sell-out. After seven years of Rove-Cheney (abetted by the Kristols and Hayes of the world), they have no tolerance at all for collegial civility. Not right now, anyway.
“First, rip their gizzards out, spread them out in the sun, cover them with lime and salt … THEN we’ll consider civility.”
(And that’s a sample from usually squishy-huggy liberals.)
Accepting that the right-wing attack and echo machine invented the game of mass/pop media demonization-for-profit, lefties are justifiably worried that engaging in human-level interaction with characters so notoriously, and unapologetically wrong-headed as Bill Kristol risks playing into another diabolical trap.
But the Stewart model seems to be working pretty damned well. And in the context of so-called “objective” journalism, particularly as the mainstream shifts on-line and must re-visit a few of the hoarier standards of “fair” questioning, the ability to pose tough — but demonstrably fair questions … revealing personal viewpoints … is a place journalism is going to have dare to go if it has any hope at all of holding both demanding, long-time news consumers AND attracting younger news seekers.
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Frank Lloyd Wrong, Part Due
The Ferarri 430. From a modern master.I have split this into two posts to help you recover from the shock of my headline. The hero-worship of Frank is so strong amongst my nascent readership that they asked me to break this into sections so as to dole out the criticism in little bites.
So, as I was saying, I arrived in Buffalo late last Friday night and checked into one of the top five boutique hotels in America according to Zagat and CondeNast (no small feat). This hotel is called The Mansion, and I have rarely spent an evening in a building that lifted my spirits more.
The late 1800-building is designed in the Second Empire style–thus high ceilings, perfect proportions, and ornate woodwork. This alone makes it special. What makes it peerless is the modern day interior design executed by some genius out of Atlanta. The icing on the cake is a staff of butlers that will iron your underwear at no charge, should you so choose.
In short, the proportions are perfect–from the design of the space to the precision allocation of the service.
Better yet, the mansion is a perfect place to spend a night before you take a tour of Buffalo’s significant buildings in the morning. Buffalo is a city still trading off its glory days 100 years ago but appears to be undergoing a small artistic resurgence. (I hear ArtSpace from Minneapolis is now buying in Buffalo.)
This overlooked aspect of Buffalo, I reckon, tends to prevent numerous turn-of-the-century masterpieces from being torn down. I won’t go into all the buildings you can see in a morning, but they include Wright’s Darwin Martin and Graycliff homes that are boffo’ prairie pieces.
I find both houses to be confining (as I have others). I am offended that he made his hallways small, forcing me into his “great rooms,” and that he made his ceilings only tall enough to accommodate his own shrimpy stature. In other words, the proportion of his spaces seems best suited to him (and not the other guy like me).
OK, so Graycliff and other houses are interesting and probably worth being preserved, but not to the exclusion of overlooked masterpieces like the hotel I stayed in for one unforgettable night.
I feel the same way when I take the wheel of a modern day masterpiece like the Maserati Quattroporte (Giguaro), the Ferrari 430 (Pinnifarina), or even the occasional Pantera (Tjdara) when it starts. While these cars may not be buildings, they remain masterpieces of proportion designed to please both the eye and the soul. (Check my author’s links for these designers.)
While Frank Lloyd Wright was known for many things (including architecture), he was also soulless in his dealings with any human being besides himself. It stands to reason, therefore, that he might get some things wrong, while buildings like the Mansion and cars like Maserati will remain so very right.