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Five at 8 - 3/13/09

Posted at 8:00 AM on March 13, 2009 by Bob Collins (2 Comments)

Five links, none of which are unlucky. By the way, you've already perused all the MPR stories on the news page, right? Check out Jim Bickal's profile of Sid at 89. There aren't many people left in the Twin Cities who are identifiable only by their first name.

  • It's National Silver Lining Day. To celebrate, we're going to try to get some cheap seats on the rooftops across from Wrigley Field. The recession is forcing companies to give up their corporate outings, opening up the seats to the average person. This is the Chicago version of going to a Timberwolves game and sneaking down to the good seats.

  • If the local newspaper folds, who gives a darn? Only 33 percent of the people, according to a Pew Survey. I'd love to see a geographic breakdown. Is the low number of people who care surprising? No. The combined circulation of the Pioneer Press and the Star Tribune is about 500,000. There are 1,137,313 households in the metro. Very liberally ignoring statistical theory, that would mean about 38% of the households get a paper.

  • If you swear in the municipal liquor store in Nevis, Minn., you'll have to find a drink somewhere else for the next 30 days, the Worthington Globe reports. "But we'd be naive to think there will be no swearing in a bar," the acting mayor said. National Silver Lining Day nugget: Business is up 262% over last year.

  • Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi have created a coating that automatically "heals" scratches with the help of of sunlight. This could be the cure for ills incurred by our inability to parallel park. Here's a thought: If they developed a coating that would also automatically bang out dents, would we drive differently?

  • A New York writer has started a campaign against snarky online comments. Fill in your own snarky online comment here.

    Posting might be a little sparse today. I'm filling in for Jon Gordon on Future Tense next week and I'm trying to line up some stories and interviews.

    Comments (2)

    "If you swear in the municipal liquor store in Nevis, Minn., you'll have to find a drink somewhere else for the next 30 days, the Worthington Globe reports."

    Interesting. For a private business, that's a perfectly acceptable rule. But for a municipal store - doesn't this amount to a government restriction on speech?

    Posted by bsimon | March 13, 2009 9:57 AM

    //would we drive differently?

    looking at how Nascar has redesigned their autos, I would say yes. The COT (car of tomorrow) has allowed the drivers to much more aggressive in how they drive with fewer consequences for their aggressive behavior (more banging, less long term damage which allows the car to be driven longer). I applaud this research in that it might actually lower our insurance premiums.

    Posted by boB from WA | March 13, 2009 7:43 PM

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