News Cut: May 28, 2008 Archive

The best and worst architecture in Minnesota?

Posted at 10:48 AM on May 28, 2008 by Bob Collins (13 Comments)

The Twin Cities gets a little architectural love today with MSN including the Weisman Museum in its slideshow of the "world's wildest architecture." (Hat tip: Tom Weber)

Being a contrarian, I'd like to assemble a slideshow of the worst and least imaginative of the architecture in Minnesota. Send your suggestions (and your photos) and we'll put a little vote together to select the "winner."

In the government buildings category, I'll nominate St. Paul's Centennial Building. It was completed in 1958 and named in honor of the 100th anniversary of Minnesota statehood, it says here. A commenter at the site says "this building has been misunderstood," which is probably the kindest thing to say about it. On the other end of the spectrum is the observation that you can apparently miss a lot of classes in architecture school, and still get an occasional gig.

The Centennial Building, unfortunately, serves as a bookend to an otherwise gorgeous display of buildings on the Capitol complex. It shares the role with another hideous building, the state transportation building, which appears to be crumbling; it's somehow metaphorically appropriate.

Use this form to send me your images.

Submissions (so far)

Block E (from Flickr):

Social sciences tower at the U of M (from Flickr). BTW, want to see something cool. Use your mouse wheel to scroll down the page while watching the windows in the social sciences tower.

Multifoods Tower, Mpls (from Flickr)

The science classrooms building at the U.

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Keeping up with the swag

Posted at 11:14 AM on May 28, 2008 by Bob Collins (17 Comments)

MSP 2008 (Republican convention) host committee has sent over a boatload of GOP convention swag, at the same time the mayors of the Twin Cities were at the National Press Club to provide a "sneak peak" of the convention. Convention organizers are said to be ticked off that the state reneged on a promise to provide a letter of credit to the convention.

These things also serve to show what media is where on the GOP pecking order. Let the record show: Cathy Wurzer is high on the list. News Cut is not. Mercifully, the Morning Edition staff recognized a candidate for a blog entry when they saw it.

How did these items get selected? "(They) didn't have to pay," MSP 2008 communications director Teresa McFarland said in an e-mail. "The visitor and convention bureaus sent out an email asking for items that brought our key messages to life from the press kit."

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Making things add up

Posted at 1:36 PM on May 28, 2008 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)

The Minnesota Department of Education today announced the creation of nine centers around the state which will teach teachers in math and science. The teachers will then become teachers of other teachers.

"Whether you're a teacher of 25 years or a teacher of one or two years," Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said, "looking at the new math standards, aligning your curriculum, looking at the data around your kids - that helps every teacher no matter what year they're in."

The new math standards? How hard can they be?

The answer depends on how hard you find the following concepts and goals for teachers:

Shame works

Posted at 2:21 PM on May 28, 2008 by Bob Collins (5 Comments)

The Minnesota Department of Revenue said today it has collected $124,000 since it posted the names of business tax deadbeats on its Web site a few weeks ago.

The list shows businesses that collected sales taxes from customers, but did not turn the money over to the state.

Browse the list here.

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An election too far

Posted at 3:39 PM on May 28, 2008 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

When do you know it's time to end the primary season and just have an election?

Right about now?

Liz Trotta has since apologized:

"Yes, I am so sorry about what happened yesterday and the lame attempt at humor. I fell all over myself, making it appear that I wished Barack Obama harm or any other candidate, for that matter, and I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I have offended."

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Tornado follow-up

Posted at 4:53 PM on May 28, 2008 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)

If you were involved in the Rogers tornado in September 2006, I need to hear from you.

Please drop me an e-mail and perhaps we can chat.

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