What's right with us?

Posted at 9:22 AM on November 22, 2009 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)
Filed under: Life

Today's news items that remind us who we are:

• Eighteen-year-old Tyler Shipman of Frazee, Minn., always dreamed of restoring his 1986 Pontiac Fiero, but he's dying of cancer and he worried about burdening his folks with an unfinished project. He posted his plight on an Internet bulletin board and this weekend, people flew in from all over the country to get the project done.

• In Philadelphia, a 64-year old woman is part high school cooking teacher, part drill sergeant. Her special dish? Helping poor kids get to college.

• Tim Johnson, 29, of Coon Rapids, always wanted to be a firefighter. But he died of a blood clot last month. Last week the West Metro fire district made him a firefighter.

The chances are you know someone that fits this category. Tell me about them.

I'm off this week. Watch this space for a suitable replacement.

Comment on this post

A date on the calendar

Posted at 9:03 AM on November 22, 2009 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)

I was just a kid 46 years ago today. Fifth grade. I'd been allowed out of school early to get the bus to Rocky's Barber Shop for a haircut. Haircuts were that important back in 1963. When I walked in, everyone was listening to the radio -- WFGL, a radio station I'd work at 14 years later. Rocky was cutting hair half-heartedly, and nobody was saying anything.

There wasn't a TV to watch; businesses didn't have TVs in the workplace back then. So we only heard what millions of others -- I'm guessing, mostly women -- saw in the now-famous image of Walter Cronkite informing the world that someone had killed our president.

It's impossible to overestimate what the Dallas Morning News today referred to as "the cloud of grief" that descended, and put November 22 on a very small list of unforgettable dates on the calendar, at least for my generation.

Comment on this post

The Weekly Quiz

Posted at 5:19 PM on November 20, 2009 by Bob Collins (6 Comments)
Filed under: The Quiz

(It may take a moment for the quiz to load)

Comment on this post

We're #24!

Posted at 2:44 PM on November 20, 2009 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)
Filed under: Surveys and trivia

It's been a long time, it seems, since we've had a gratuitous survey that reminds us how great we are.

I'm talking about you, Woodbury. Everyone else, step back!

BusinessWeek says Woodbury is the 24th-best place to raise your kids in the U.S., and -- clearly -- the best in Minnesota, with Rochester and Eagan off in the distance.

Here's the bottom line:

Woodbury, a growing suburb just 10 miles southeast of St. Paul, is close to major employers, including the state government and 3M, which makes everything from post-it notes to safety equipment. It has 100 miles of multi-use trails and is surrounded by thousands of acres of park land. The city is served by three independent public school districts and is home to the Math & Science Academy charter school.

So, Woodbury's strong point is it's near another city where there's a major employer. Woodbury once had a major employer. But State Farm Insurance succumbed to the allure of Lincoln, Nebraska, and its huge campus has been vacant ever since, right across the street from the shopping center that looks like every other shopping center in America, and up the street from Woodbury Lakes, the now-in-foreclosure upscale shopping district.

It's interesting, however, that the article sees three school districts in the city as a plus, since most people consider it a headache. The districts were drawn when the city was nothing but pasture. As it was developed, one school district -- actually based in Oakdale -- got the benefit of the retail growth in Woodbury, while the primary school district got nothing. The three districts all split up neighborhoods in the city.

There's no questioning, however, that the magazine got it right on parks and trails. Both would've made better backdrop for the supporting photograph in the magazine than the one it used:

Comment on this post

After the fact policing

Posted at 12:15 PM on November 20, 2009 by Bob Collins (9 Comments)
Filed under: Crime and Justice, Tech

Here's another reminder to be careful about what you post on social networking sites.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student Adam Bauer posted a picture on his Facebook page showing him with a beer. The 19-year old was summoned to the police station where he was given a ticket for underage drinking.

"I just can't believe it. I feel like I'm in a science fiction movie, like they are always watching. When does it end?" Bauer told the La Crosse Tribune.

"Law enforcement has to evolve with technology," a La Crosse police officer said. "It has to happen. It is a necessity --not just for underage drinking."

Facebook isn't just for stalking parents anymore.

Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids

(h/t: Than Tibbetts)

Comment on this post

The Future of News redux

Posted at 11:13 AM on November 20, 2009 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)
Filed under: Media, News

Earlier this week, MPR hosted a day-long forum on The Future of News. Colleague Julia Schrenkler, who handled most of the online action, has posted the video of the keynote, which featured Ken Doctor. He runs the Web site Content Bridges.

He's also written a post about the conference and, in particular, the one portion where teeth were bared. Star Tribune Publisher Mike Sweeney and his editor-in-chief, Nancy Barnes, declared that MPR was engaged in a "land grab," because it had advantages as a non-profit over the Star Tribune.

Doctor's take:

Some participants had joked about how MPR was putting on a self-serving conference, one that asked the question about the future of news and came pre-equipped with the two-word answer: Public Radio. Not untrue, but the conference managed to bring not only Sweeney and Strib editor Nancy Barnes into the room and onto panels. It is also brought in Joel Kramer, publisher of MinnPost (as well as Voice of San Diego's Scott Lewis), knowing that Kramer might be (and was) vocal about MPR's unwillingness to partner with MinnPost.

If Sweeney came concerned, he might have left more worried. Yes, Public Radio's legacy business is radio, and, more recently, audio, via podcast and streaming. What Sweeney heard, though, was a larger Who, public radio's nascent attempts to assert itself as a major online (and then presumably mobile) news player throughout the country.

You can find the whole Future of News Web site here. Incidentally, I didn't see this fabulous piece of work until yesterday:

Comment on this post

Five at 8 -11/20/09: Things to do while reading the health care bill

Posted at 7:09 AM on November 20, 2009 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)

1) Five things you can do in the time it would take you to read the entire health care reform bill. My favorite: "Accrue enough radio experience to host a national talk show." Of course this is a silly exercise; Nobody's going to read the entire health care bill.

Is it still the economy, stupid? Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com writes this morning that it's more critical -- for Obama's popularity -- to pass a jobs bill than a health care bill.

2) Why does Jon Stewart's Daily Show do a better job of fact checking than the news media? The surprise here is that it took this long for someone to write an article on the subject.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Things Not to Be Thankful For - Silverdome, Goldman Sachs & Congressional Recess
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

3) The lure of the small town. If you've traveled through the downtowns of most of Minnesota's small towns, you know there aren't many business owners like Patty Forseth in Germantown. She runs a clothing store that decided to stay in town, rather than move to the big cities nearby -- "big" meaning populations of 2,000. The Marshall Independent profiles a couple of like-minded businesses who think there's still a future on Main Street, Minnesota.

4) Going rogue? The Star Tribune has a front-page story this morning from its "Whistleblower" department that alleges law enforcement agencies are abusing the 72-hour-hold which allows authorities to detain people, usually with mental health issues, for 72 hours if they're deemed a threat to themselves or others. The people with mental health training are not likely to be happy with the story, however, because they're likely to point to paramedic Nate Berg's lack of training on mental health issues.

Take this section of the story, for example:

The police officer said the patient was having psychiatric issues and was upset, Berg said in his suit. The officer said the patient may be off his medications, Berg said. But they were unable to produce a copy of the boy's care plan, which would have shown what medications he was on as well as his doctor's instructions for handling various situations.

The boy told Berg he was mad because he had gotten into a fight with his caretaker. But Berg said the boy didn't appear to be suffering from a medical problem and was speaking coherently. Berg told the officer it wasn't ambulance policy to take someone to the hospital because they were angry.

"Didn't appear to be suffering from a medical problem?" What does a mental health issue look like? The paramedic said by the time he got to the scene, the young man was in the back of a squad car and seemed coherent. But in many cases, mental health "episodes" are like seizures.

The frustration that people have with medical professionals who determine at a glance that people are or aren't mentally healthy is a theme that emerged in most of the conversations I had with people in a series MPR produced in 2004. Minnesota has actually made progress in recent years in training its emergency responders on the best way to protect people with mental health issues.

The Star Tribune missed the story here, which is one paramedic overriding the best practices of the emergency responders and going it alone. Is that a serious thing? Discuss below.

Full disclosure: I have a wife who is actively engaged in lobbying on behalf of mental health access and I have a son who is a paramedic.

5) Kid Klingon. The University of Minnesota Daily focused on one of the most interesting stories we've seen in awhile, then left it after two paragraphs to do a feature story on a local company that created a Klingon dictionary, which isn't that interesting. The better story? Why would a linguist sacrifice three years of his newborn's life to find out if it would make a difference if Dad spoke only Klingon for the first three years of it? It turns out Wired Magazine answered that question in a 1999 story. He didn't actually. The boy learned both English and Klingon because Mom spoke English.

This isn't that kid, which in itself is scary:



TODAY'S QUESTION

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission gave approval last week for an Xcel Energy plan to produce more power at its Prairie Island nuclear plant. Xcel also will store more nuclear waste at the site. Are you comfortable increasing Minnesota's reliance on nuclear power?

WHAT WE'RE DOING

I hope to have a News Cut Quiz posted here by early afternoon.

Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) - First hour: New guidelines recommending against yearly mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 49 are creating confusion and anxiety among women, and stirring anger in the medical community.

Second hour: Local singer Paul Metsa has performed and worked in music for nearly 30 years. He credits his upbringing in the Iron Range and his love of folk for inspiring his songwriting and his bluesman ethos.

Midday (11 a.m. -1 p.m.) - First hour: Former US Sen. David Durenberger discusses the politics and the policies involved in the House and Senate health care bills. The Senate has scheduled a preliminary vote Saturday night.

Second hour: Live broadcast from the National Press Club, featuring Jim Leach, the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Talk of the Nation (1-3 p.m.) - It's Science Friday! First hour: Living and working in space. Speaking of space, what did you do at work this week? How cool is this guy's job?

Second hour: Even more on the new mammogram guidelines.

All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) - MPR's Chris Roberts profiles a unique company of playwrights who produce their own work and takes turns to direct productions.

Euan Kerr considers the new movie on soldiers who have the toughest detail in the Army -- telling families their son or daughter has been killed.

Mark Steil has the latest on the bus crash in Austin with a look into the charter bus industry.

Comment on this post

FAA computer outage had little impact at MSP

Posted at 12:17 PM on November 19, 2009 by Bob Collins (2 Comments)

The headlines from the national media today were apocalyptic when word came that one of the FAA's aging computer systems had crashed, warning of massive delays around the country. The problem was a computer system where flight plans for the airlines are entered. They had to be entered by hand this morning.

The truth? It was no big deal outside of places like Atlanta and New York, which are usually subject to massive delays even when the computers are zipping along normally.

In Minneapolis, between 8 and 9, the "massive" delays averaged 14 minutes. An hour later, the average departure delay was 8 minutes. By late morning, flights were leaving an average of three minutes early. Shortly before noon, the average arriving flight was getting in 12 minutes early.

Here's an animation I made of the nation's airline traffic snapshots from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Not sure what it signifies other than the air traffic controllers were "pushing tin."



You can probably see the problem of these sorts of things, however. In the morning, everybody is heading to the East. At some point, everyone has to head West again. That's likely when more significant delays will show up.

BTW, I recommend putting that animation in full-screen mode.

Comment on this post

An economy-to-English translation

Posted at 10:57 AM on November 19, 2009 by Bob Collins (2 Comments)
Filed under: Economy

Minnesota officials today said the unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in October, while 2,200 jobs were added. As with most economic stories, this one, too, is long on numbers and short on English.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is one of the few people in Washington who speaks English when it comes to testifying before Senate and House committees. He's also one of the few cabinet members who appears to have little stomach for the niceties of politics.

So today's Geithner testimony before the Joint Economic Committee held a lot of potential for fireworks. It includes Senate and House members with similar dispositions. It did not disappoint.

Republicans came out looking for blood, and Geithner was more than happy to oblige. It was not only great theater, the two sides provided a clear picture of where two economic philosophies collide.

Take this exchange between Geithner and Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX):

Burgess: TARP (the bailout) is supposed to expire. Why won't we let it die a natural death rather than letting it painfully linger?

Geithner: We are looking to put the TARP out of its misery, and nobody will be happier than I am to see that program terminated and unwound. I want to point out that we are moving very aggressively to close down and terminate the programs that defined TARP at the beginning of the crisis.

Burgess: It looks like the money is going out with little or no oversight.

Geithner: That is absolutely not true. The Congress established three separate oversight committees...

Burgess: Your own inspector general on the Troubled Asset Relief Program has got several concerns. Why not just stop spending on the TARP funds and why not repeal the program? We don't need it anymore. People never liked it, let's just do away with it... If you just get the heck out of the way, the American economy will recover, as it has always done.

Geithner: That broad philosophy helped produce the worst financial crisis and the worst recession we've seen in generations. We had a pretty good test of that philosophy, pretty good test of those policies, it did not serve the country well...

Burgess: When I came here in 2003, we were in a jobless recovery. Tax relief was passed in May 2003 and as a consequence, by July of that year we were adding jobs at a significant rate. It seems to have worked fairly well. I don't think you should be fired, I thought you should never have been hired. And I objected when the hearings were going on over in the Senate; I thought there were too many question marks about things that had occurred in the past, and it did not leave the American people with a good feeling about the person who was going to be responsible for this economic recovery. What can you say today... I'll tell you my folks, they're not just anxious, they are mad; they are fighting mad about what is happening in the economy. They are fighting mad about the stimulus. They are fighting mad about how many jobs we created in Arizona's 9th District, do you know the congressman in Arizona's 9th District? They won't have a 9th District until after redistricting; they only have 8 right now. This kind of nonsense is what the American people are seeing and that's why they're so upset. (Bob notes: See my post here on the mystery districts)

A few moments later, the committee chair asked about the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" in America.

"We've had a decade-long increase in inequality in America; it did not start in this decade," Geithner replied. "It really started a long time ago. But in the '90s, we had a long period with budget surpluses, rapid growth in private investment, rapid growth in productivity across the American economy, with broad-based gains in income for middle-class Americans. That record should make one optimistic about this country, and what's possible if we get the basic policies right. But you can see from the state of this economy, looking back just a year ago, what happens when you get those broad judgments wrong. It's unfair and unjust because the people who bear most of the burden of those crises are the people who are the most vulnerable."

A few minutes earlier, Geithner sparred with another Texas Republican congressman:

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar ran the latter part of the hearing but had little to offer. But, then again, what was left to say?

Comment on this post

Five at 8 - 11/18/09: 'Down in front!'

Posted at 7:38 AM on November 19, 2009 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)

1) MPR senior producer Jim Bickal did a nifty tour of Target Field field last week. It's spawned a post on the Web site, Ballpark Magic, about obstructed view seats. When I was growing up, for example, it wasn't uncommon to end up in a seat at the old Boston Garden and have a steel girder between your legs. The scoreboard? Forget it, nobody sitting downstairs beneath the overhang ever saw the scoreboard.

So the writer at Ballpark Magic did some calculations and found the largest degree of obstructed view seating will be in the outfield seats -- the cheap seats.

It's also possible that none of this will matter. Out in the bleachers at Wrigley, people barely pay attention to the game at all. The views aren't obstructed, but if they were, nobody would probably care. Maybe that type of party atmosphere will pervade the outfield seating. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, I suppose. (But leave those damnable beach balls at home! You don't see those things at Wrigley.)

So maybe from your seat you won't get to see Nick Punto at bat. You're not missing anything

2) Fascinating piece from the Denver Post, which followed a young man from high school, into the military, and to Iraq. There's been a lot of high-brow chatter about the future of news this week. This is the Future of News. (h/t: Molly Bloom)

On that front -- the future of news -- MPR has posted the video of its keynote speaker at a conference on the subject earlier this week:

Somewhat related: This is what good reporting looks like. NPR's Daniel Zwerdling, doing it the old-fashioned way, uncovers a document proving that psychiatrists at Walter Reed Army Medical Center put their concerns about the accused Fort Hood shooter in writing.

3) It's unlikely that the Wilf brothers wanted their long-expected play for a taxpayer-financed stadium to play next to a story about poor people losing their access to health care at the hospital nearly across the street from their current sports ghetto, but that's how it worked out.

Hennepin County Medical Center, the largest provider of health care to the state's poor and uninsured , has been whacked by Gov. Tim Pawlenty's $381 million cut to General Assistance Medical Care, a program for poor adults in May. It's closing clinics and denying care to out-of-county uninsured.

The Minnesota Vikings, meanwhile, are complaining that their stadium deal is the worst in football. Their stadium supporters recommend taking the $26 million they say the team generates in state taxes, add up to another $18 million and building a new stadium for the team. The Vikings probably have a better chance at a stadium with Brett Favre this year than had Tavaris Jackson remained at quarterback.

So, you're a Minnesota state legislator. If you're not a city person, you're probably hearing from more football fans than poor, sick people. What do you do?

Here's one of the quotes from one of the parties involved in these stories. Guess which one. "We would expect to be treated fairly and with some minimum level of respect."

4) Are they truants, sufferers from a legitimate psychological disorder, or just overprotected kids? Today, the BBC Magazine jumps into the question of "school phobia."

It is thought the worst ages for school phobia are five to six, 11-12 and 13-14, says Mr Blagg. There are no precise numbers for how many children suffer the condition, but he notes one estimate is that 1% of children will have it at one point during their school careers.

5) Toilets. What? You think I've got something to add to that?

Bonus: How a library book gets to you. It's a new video from the Minnesota Historical Society. In about 10 years from now, someone's going to stumble across this on YouTube and will be amazed at how the people who lived way back in 2009 got books in a library.

More bonus: Justice Alito speaks. It would be great if members of the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the media to record the speeches they give. We would learn more about the people who interpret the Constitution.

TODAY'S QUESTION

The Obama administration has announced that it will prosecute five men charged in the 9/11 attacks in civilian court. Critics of the decision argue that accused terrorists do not deserve the legal rights afforded by the U.S. justice system. Do terrorism suspects deserve the same legal rights as other defendants in court?

Rudy Giuliani was on CBS' Early Show this morning with his view:

WHAT WE'RE DOING

Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) - First hour: Sarah Palin brings out strong opinions, from people in her own party, from others across the political spectrum. Experts on conservatives and women in politics talk about what Palin's possible political career means.

Second hour: A renowned British neurosurgeon has traveled to Ukraine for 15 years to treat desperate patients who were given no hope of survival. Henry Marsh performs complicated brain surgery in archaic and hostile conditions in the Ukraine as the focus of a new PBS documentary.

Midday (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.) - First hour: MPR President Bill Kling in the studio to answer listener questions about the future of news and MPR.

Second hour: Live broadcast from the Westminster Town Hall Forum, featuring journalist Sarah Chayes, who has lived in Afghanistan since 2001. She is author of "The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban."

Talk of the Nation (1-3 p.m.) - First hour: An emotional debate erupts after President Obama announces he will try five 9/11 suspects including ringleader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in the city they attacked. Will it provide closure, or simply reopen old wounds?

Second hour: You use Google for searches, for email,and where would you be without
Google Maps? But how much do you know about the company that knows everything about you? Ken Auletta, the author of Googled joins guest host Rebecca Roberts.

All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) - How are state colleges and universities spending federal stimulus money? Much of it going to projects that don't produce a lot of jobs, MPR's Tim Post reports.

With final numbers in from the 'Give to the Max' Day on GiveMn.org, what went well, and what are the concerns? MPR's Marianne Combs will have the story. But if you've been reading her blog for the last few days, you already know.

John Burnett revisits the massacre at Luby's, the 1991 shooting that killed nearly two dozen people not far from Fort Hood.

And Jonathan Hamilton will have details of a study which suggest you can take a nap and learn at the same time.

Comment on this post

Fresh Eye on the Radio: The things we do to ourselves

Posted at 5:34 PM on November 18, 2009 by Bob Collins (4 Comments)

Update: A small number of apparently wayward souls have asked if this daily feature could be a podcast. We have not yet marshaled the considerable leverage of News Cut to do this correctly, but thanks to Jon Gordon of Future Tense, I've at least figured out how to get it to you in podcast form. Go here.

Today, the U.S. attorney general tried to explain to worried U.S. senators why he will try the mastermind of 9/11 in a civil court. Coincidentally, the Eden Prairie News on the same day was carrying details of new security arrangements around Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie. Barely-hanging-on businesses will now be encased in barbed wire and chain-links, even though no general aviation airplane has ever been used in a terrorist attack on the United States.

A Ryder Truck has been used for terrorism, but you don't need to pass through security to rent one today.

A lot of the damage to our psyche in the wake of 9/11, we've done to ourselves. That's the topic of today's Fresh Eye on the Radio conversation with Mary Lucia on The Current.



By the way, I do realize these things are running way too long. We'll get them shortened up starting tomorrow and get back to the music.

Comment on this post

Breaking: Tour bus crash in Austin

Posted at 4:36 PM on November 18, 2009 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)

Several people are reportedly dead in the crash of a tour bus on I-90 in Austin, Minnesota.

I'll post links and info as things emerge.

4:37 p.m. - KTCC TV in Austin reports two dead.
4:39 p.m. - Pictures from the scene are coming from KAAL TV

It waas a bun from Strain Bus Line Motorcoach Tours, and it is a weekly bus that takes people from Rochester, Byron, Kasson and Blooming Prairie to Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, Iowa.

4:43 p.m. - Background. Federal Motor Coach Safety Administration gives Minnesota a "good" (highest) rating in inspections of buses.

4:47 p.m. - There were no fatalities on buses in 2008, according to the FMCSA, but that's incorrect. There was one in Albertville in the spring of 2008 when a bus carrying students back to Pelican Rapids from a band even in Chicago ran off the road on I-94.

Twenty-three people died in Minnesota in accidents involving buses in 2007. One of the more noteworthy crashes in this area was in Osseo, Wisconsin in 2005 when a tour bus hit a jacknifed trailer truck on I-94 (WCCO).

4:54 p.m. - MPR's Tim Nelson is heading for the scene and will provide overnight/morning coverage.

4:59 p.m. - Bus company's Web site.

5:02 p.m. - Additional photos posted on the Rochester Post Bulletin Web site. Most of the riders appeared to be elderly, the newspaper said.

5:05 p.m. - From MnDOT: I-90 in both directions: Road closed to traffic. Between Exit 166: Oakland Road and Exit 175: Oakland Avenue West (3 miles west of the Austin area). The road is closed to traffic. Look out for a serious accident.

5:11 p.m. - The topography of the crash area, courtesy of Google.

5:18 p.m. - Here's Tim Engstrom from the Albert Lea Tribune with MPR All Things Considered host Tom Crann:

5:27 p.m. - Photo above courtesy of KAAL TV

5:37 p.m. - Minnesota Department of Public Safety has confirmed two are dead in the crash.

5:56 p.m. - Shifting updates over to this page.

7:10 p.m. - The Rochester Post Bulletin has posted video here.

Comment on this post

Beyond the carousel

Posted at 1:07 PM on November 18, 2009 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)
Filed under: Arts

When I first visited the Twin Cities, the Cafesjian Carousel sat at the top of Town Square in downtown St. Paul. Rescued from the State Fair, it filled the nearby urban garden with the sound of a merry-go-round. People having lunch sat around the nearby water gardens. For a newcomer, St. Paul seemed like a dynamic, happening place.

Gerald Cafesjian, a former West Publishing exec, is the guy responsible for it. "The music, the magic and the movement combine to create a one-of-a-kind experience. When we preserve the carousel we also preserve that joy and hope--that happiness--for the entire community, for years to come," he said.

Nowadays, there is no joy in Town Square, at least after 2 p.m., when everything closes.

The carousel is at Como Park now and Cafesjian has since moved to Florida. But he still inspires big dreams. Like this:

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts has opened in Yerevan, Armenia, according to the New York Times:

The center, a mad work of architectural megalomania and architectural recovery, is one of the strangest and most spectacular museum buildings to open in ages. Imagine an Art Deco version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon rising nearly the height of the Empire State Building, its decorations coded with Armenian symbolism.

It's no Town Square, although the picture above reminds me of the carousel's old haunt:

(h/t: Bill Wareham)

Comment on this post

Search for missing aviator ends

Posted at 11:31 AM on November 18, 2009 by Bob Collins (8 Comments)
Filed under: Disasters

The search for Andrew Lindberg of Farmington ended tragically today when the wreckage of the Farmington man's plane was found in Clearwater County.

Searchers have been looking for Lindberg since he failed to arrive at a hunting outing in Hallock on Friday.

Now the only unanswered question is: What happened? Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board will have a better idea when they get their first glance at the wreckage. Wreckage scattered over some distance might indicate an attempt at an emergency landing. Wreckage in a small area might indicate what investigators refer to as "controlled flight into terrain."

It probably wasn't the former. First, there was no radio transmission. Second, the wreckage was found 21 miles southeast of Mahnomen. In the route map below (click for larger view), the orange line is the route. The airplane (denoted by the "X") was found along that line. An emergency would've led the pilot to turn toward two nearby airports, or turn back toward Park Rapids. He apparently didn't.

A possible factor is the difficulty of flying in the conditions, considering the terrain. It was night-time, there was no moon, and this is the terrain (via Google Earth):

It's also near the Chippewa National Forest. There would've been almost no lights visible on the ground. There was no moon on Friday. It wouldn't have appeared over the horizon in Mahnomen until 5:13 Saturday morning. It would have been difficult to detect the horizon. There's also plenty of swamps and water in the area, and the air temperature was cooling. The temperature/dewpoint spread around that time was less than 2 degrees in Mahnomen. That means fog was likely forming, too.

These are conditions that are challenging for even the most experienced pilot. They would have more so, of course, for a pilot with very little experience. Mr. Lindberg got his pilot's certificate in September, according to reports.

Comment on this post

Holder's testimony

Posted at 9:47 AM on November 18, 2009 by Bob Collins (2 Comments)
Filed under: Crime and Justice, War

Attorney General Eric Holder went before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today to explain why the government will try the alleged mastermind of 9/11 in civilian court.

Opponents of the idea are worried the trial will provide a platform for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Based on the lack of coverage by news organizations of the hearing today, that doesn't seem likely. CNN dropped its coverage after Holder's initial statement. CSPAN was more interested in a ceremony honoring Sen. Robert Byrd. Even Public Radio didn't carry the hearing.

Besides, in TV, video is king and federal courts don't allow cameras in the courtroom. Is that a big deal? Go back to South Africa at the height of protests over apartheid. South Africa's president banished the TV cameras, and the story disappeared from America's living rooms.

But back to Holder. Here are his "money quotes."

"I have every confidence that the nation and the world will see him for the coward that he is. ,I'm not scared of what Khalid Sheik Mohammed has to say at trial -- and no one else needs to be either."

"We need not cower in the face of this enemy. Our institutions are strong, our infrastructure is sturdy, our resolve is firm, and our people are ready."

Here's a transcript of his entire statement.

Sen. Jeff Sessions disagreed:

Separately, it probably says something -- though I'm not sure exactly what -- that the best place to get coverage of a significant issue before the country, is YouTube.

Comment on this post