Katie and Jesse load up on food before the game in the Fishing Lodge at Xcel Center

Player of the game, goalie Kevin Croswell, came in early in the first with a 5-0 deficit and played solid defense the rest of the game

The Bud Light Swarm Performance Team ... Oh, yeah. What more can I say?

Swarm it up!

Jesse sporting Swarm face paint and Travis Hill's number 47

The girls and I made our way to St. Paul Saturday night for the second home game of the 2009 season. Have I mentioned already that I love our seats this year (on the glass, next to the home penalty box)?

The Swarm got off to a rough start against the defending champion Buffalo Bandits, spotting the visitors a 5-0 lead before a first-quarter goalie change. I knew we were in trouble when team owner John Arlotta pointed out to me Friday that Buffalo has nine American Indian players to our two (we have more than that on the roster, but only suited up two American Indians against Buffalo, not including Coach Duane Jacobs, a hall of fame player from Six Nations). I haven’t made a scientific study of this, but it seems to me that the team that fielded the most Indians in any National Lacrosse League game I’ve attended has prevailed. I attribute this to the fact that we invented the game and many of our young men have been playing anetsodi since they could walk and hold a stick. Maybe I can persuade those guys at Freakonomics to do a study of this phenomenon.

I was meeting with John and some of his front office staff earlier in the week to discuss ways for the Swarm to get more involved in the local American Indian community. The Swarm offered free tickets to anyone in the American Indian community who wanted to attend Saturday’s game and I helped get the word out. The team also plans an American Indian night later in the season and wants to offer clinics and culturally-specific lessons for students in local Indian Education Programs. I appreciate what the team is trying to do in our community.

On the way into the game, the girls and I stopped by the line outside the Wilkins Auditorium to say hi to @LazyLightning and his better half, waiting to get in to the Minnesota Rollergirls roller derby match. There was quite a line to get in and @LazyLightning was at the front. Let someone try to cut in front of him!

Then the girls and I hit the Fishing Lodge for some free beverages and some tasty snacks before the game. Once we made our way to our seats, the fellows from the NLL who sit in the booth near us gave both girls game balls to have autographed later.

The Swarm fought back from their 5-0 deficit and tied the game up near the end, but ultimately lost by a goal, 10-9. Not bad, considering the Bandits had crushed the Rochester Knighthawks 23-6 the week before.

We’re looking forward to the Feb. 7 game against the Colorado Mammoth, when Jesse will probably be down on the field during player introductions. She is very excited!

For all of you who have ever told me I drink too much coffee, I have just one thing to say: “Hah!”

Study: Coffee May Help Stave Off Dementia

By Anthony Bartkewicz
MyFoxNational

A study by researchers in Sweden and Denmark found that long-term coffee consumption may reduce the chance of dementia in the elderly.

The researchers tracked the coffee consumption of 1,409 middle-aged participants over 21 years, according to a report in the New York Times. Those who reported daily coffee consumption of three to five cups were found to be 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia. Over the course of the study, 61 patients did develop dementia, 48 of them due to Alzheimer’s disease. The lead author of the study, Dr. Miia Kivipelto, told the Times, “This is an observational study,” she said. “We have no evidence that for people who are not drinking coffee, taking up drinking will have a protective effect.”

Medheadlines, reporting on the study, quotes Dr. Kivipelto’s theories that coffee decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes and amyloid plaques in the brain — both of which can raise the risk of dementia.

The study appears in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

I was going to add more, but I forgot what I was going to write. Crap! Must not have had enough joe this morning….

I watched the inaugural festivities today, like many Americans, with pride and a bit of disbelief that I had actually witnessed the election of an African-American president in my lifetime. We had a mini-party in my office, a few friends and co-workers, to watch the oath and inaugural address, to witness a moment in history and to seek inspiration in the words of the man who will now lead us, as he noted, “amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.”

President Obama’s speech hit many of the right notes, this passage in particular:

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers … our forefathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.

… even as it failed to deliver that one great line that had defined previous inaugural speeches — ”Ask not what your country can do for you…” or “the only thing we have to fear. . .is fear itself.”

A couple of lines in the speech, though, hit my ears with a thud. President Obama (I love typing those words) made a real point of reaching out to American Indians during the campaign and had promised to maintain the United States’ nation-to-nation relationship with the 600 native nations that are spread across this country. So it was a bit jarring to hear:

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. … For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

Here’s a bulletin, Mr. President: American Indians see nothing to celebrate in the “settlement” of the West. Look in the Old Testament in the book you swore your oath on today. There in Exodus 20:2–17 is the commandment “you shall not steal.” That includes land.

The second jarring passage:

We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve…

I understand what the president was getting at: We must, as a nation, stop focusing on the things that divide us and find strength in those that unite us. I get that. But, speaking as a person who identifies strongly with his own tribe, I don’t believe that we must erase who we are and melt into some homogeneous mass to move forward or to thrive as a nation. We can maintain our tribal identities and unite as a nation behind a shared purpose or to battle a common enemy. It is the richness of our diverse experiences, perspectives and insights that gives us our strength as a people.

Still in all, today was a day that gives me hope for our nation and our way of life. I trust that President Obama will live up to the commitments he made in Indian Country during the campaign and that, over time, he will come to see why Western conquest is not an accomplishment to be celebrated by the people who were here first and who are still here.

This looks like a job for....

WTF

Man found burned in apartment with no sign of fire

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Investigators are baffled as to how a man suffered second- and third-degree burns inside his apartment — even though the only sign of a fire was a candle in the bathroom. Knoxville Fire Department crews found the 56-year-old victim inside his apartment bathroom Monday afternoon with third-degree burns to his face and second-degree burns to his hands.

Officials say they knocked on the door of the unit at Cagle Terrace Apartments, and went inside when they heard someone moaning.

The man, who was not identified, was later taken to a burn center for treatment.

Fire officials say their investigation is ongoing.

Watch out, Dad, the aliens are coming for you. They’re headed west on I-40!

It's not as heavy as it looks

Coosje van Bruggen, 1942-2009

We’re a little late in noting last week’s passing of Coosje van Bruggen, who along with her husband, Claes Oldenburg, created one of the iconic symbols of Minneapolis, Spoonbridge and Cherry at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. We had some fun there in summer 2007, trying out a new camera and messing around with Photoshop. Click here for the slideshow on flickr [Parental Warning: These images were taken before I lost all that weight and might be too intense for younger audiences].

The obituary, from the Associated Press:

Van Bruggen put artistic mark on Minneapolis
Sculptor who collaborated with husband on “Spoonbridge and Cherry” dies

Charles Tasnadi, Associated Press

Coosje van Bruggen, a critic, art historian and sculptor who collaborated with her artist-husband, Claes Oldenburg, on his giant sculptures of mundane objects, including the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden’s “Spoonbridge and Cherry,” has died in California.

Van Bruggen, 66, died of breast cancer Saturday in her Los Angeles home, said Andrea Glimcher, a spokeswoman for PaceWildenstein, which represented Van Bruggen.

Van Bruggen gained a reputation as an inquisitive critic with her scholarly books and essays on the works of John Baldessari, Bruce Nauman, Gerhard Richter and others.

She was best-known through her work with the Swedish-born, American pop artist Oldenburg, whom she married in 1977.

This is not Art in his younger days...

Another Paper on the Ropes

The Star Tribune filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late this week, after missing payments to creditors and laying off or buying out a quarter of its newsroom. From my former newspaper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

The Minneapolis-based Star Tribune got approval Friday from a New York bankruptcy court to continue to pay its bills and keep publishing.

The paper still is making money, according to court filings, and had almost $27 million in cash at the end of 2008. So Minnesota’s largest newspaper doesn’t appear to be going out of business anytime soon.

Longer term, however, questions remain.

Even if the Star Tribune emerges from bankruptcy, who will own it? And how much will its employees have to give up to achieve the cost cuts its publisher says are needed?

The Star Tribune filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late Thursday, two years after New York-based Avista Capital Partners, a private-equity group, bought the paper for $530 million.

“With the significant deterioration in our revenue in 2008 and the challenging outlook for our industry for 2009, we simply could not wait any longer to take this step,” publisher Chris Harte said in a release issued early Friday. “Our plan is to use the court-supervised process to reduce our costs, strengthen our balance sheet and create a financially viable business.”

The paper’s profits are down sharply. Court filings show that it had earnings of $31 million in 2008, before interest, taxes and debt payments. That was down from $59 million in 2007 and $115 million in 2004.

In its bankruptcy filing, the Star Tribune reported assets of about $493 million and debt of $661 million.

If you had told me five years ago that the Strib would be bankrupt and the PiPress still growing and holding its own, I would have said you were crazy — not because the PiPress and its people weren’t scrappy and talented (they were and are, he said modestly) — but because the Strib was so much bigger, seemingly better financed and operating from a position of dominance in our market. But the Strib’s fortunes have been in freefall since then and now there’s serious doubt that it can pull itself out of its fiery tailspin.

That’s a sad thing for the Twin Cities and Minnesota, despite what some know-nothing bloggers might tell you. Who’s going to do the hard reporting and watchdog journalism the Strib now commits millions of dollars to each year if they go away? If the evil “MSM” goes away, what will the bloggers “comment” on?

I wish all of my friends and former colleagues at the Strib the best as they work their way through this financial mess. They are real pros and help to keep us informed and entertained. I would miss them greatly if they went away.

Won't someone think of the children?

Danger! Danger! Danger!

OK, the funniest recall I’ve seen all week — a plush uterus stuffed, um, animal? Not sure what sort of parent buys one of these for the little snowflake to cuddle up with at night, but I guess it happens.

And, remember: The ovaries may be pulled off and become a choking hazard.

Let’s be careful out there…

Help me. Please.

Jesse Asked Me to Post This…

Singer Neko Case has posted her new single, “People Got A Lotta Nerve,” online for a free download and promises to donate $5 to Best Friends Animal Society for everyone who posts a link to the song on their web site or blog.

From the antilabelblog:

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, Best Friends Animal Society is one of America’s foremost animal rescue organizations. Founded in 1984, Best Friends advances nationwide animal welfare initiatives by working with shelter and rescue groups around the country. On any given day Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation’s largest facility for abused, abandoned and special needs companion animals located in southwestern Utah, is home to approximately 2,000 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals. The society also publishes Best Friends magazine, the nation’s largest general interest, pet-related magazine with approximately 300,000 subscribers. …

How do I post on my blog?
Every time a blog reposts “People Got A Lotta Nerve” by Neko Case, we will donate five dollars to the Best Friends Foundation. Here’s how to participate:

There are two ways ANTI will know you reposted the track. If your blog is currently being registered in Google Blog Search, Technorati, The Hype Machine or Elbo.ws, we will automatically be able to find it. If not, please email with your blog post information and we will be sure to add you to the list of participating donors.

Download the song here

Love him or hate him, the outgoing president sure was (unintentionally) entertaining at times. Slate compiles the top 25 Bushisms of the last eight years. He said we misunderestimated him, but he was wrong.

Here are some pictures to keep those memories of the Bush years alive (courtesy of the PensitoReview):

That's one skinny boy

Found this old picture while I was poking around in the vast, dusty archives of the Coulson Presidential Library. Yep, that’s me, posing in front of the family estate in Virginia Beach with my dad’s MGB convertible. I was covered in paint and wood stain after my first day at a real job (house painter for R&J Contractors). I used the photo to illustrate a CD I burned the other day of the first Bruce Springsteen concert I ever attended, on Aug. 14, 1978, at Hampton Coliseum. I was amazed to discover the concert in its entirety online. It sure brought back wonderful memories of my first taste of The Boss 30 years ago.

Here’s an annotated set list from the concert:

HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL
A rarity I’ve never heard him play again in 30 years
BADLANDS
You gotta live it every day…
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
Made me want to hang out at Greasy Lake with Janie and the rest of the gang. But what was that dust Wild Billy shook out of his coonskin cap?
DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
The namesake of the tour.
FACTORY
More rousing in concert than on the record. Could have really slowed the show down, but instead served as a great build-up to…
THE PROMISED LAND
The dogs on Main Street howl, ’cause they understand…
PROVE IT ALL NIGHT
He did.
RACING IN THE STREET
The summer’s here and the time is right. He got that right.
THUNDER ROAD
The sign on the shack said, “This is the land of peace, love, justice — and no mercy.” The sign at the end of the road read, “Thunder Road.”
JUNGLELAND
The Professor showed us how he earned his PhD on the piano.
PARADISE BY THE C
What? An instrumental? OK, Clarence, whatever you want to play…
FOR YOU
I came for you, but I did not need your urgency.
4TH JULY ASBURY PARK (SANDY)
RIP Danny Federici.
SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN
We enter the cover song portion of the evening with a Chuck Berry rocker.
NOT FADE AWAY/GLORIA/SHE’S THE ONE
Unreal extended jam — thought the concert was ending, but it was only halfway there. Sure got my $7 worth (yes, youngsters, there was a time when concert tickets could be had for single digits.)
GROWIN’ UP
Where I was in my head at the time. No wonder I love this band.
BACKSTREETS
The Professor shines again.
ROSALITA (Come Out Tonight)
Now I know your mama she don’t like me ’cause I play in a rock ‘n’ roll band…
BORN TO RUN
The joint was rocking. If memory serves, the house lights came up and all 18,000 fans were standing on their chairs and singing along. But I’m old and my memory might have been embellished over the years. And by this point in the concert, my brain might have been a bit muddled (from all the studying I’d been doing. What did you think I meant?)
BECAUSE THE NIGHT
Patti Smith had just borrowed this song from Bruce in the recording studio and made it into a hit. He showed her how the original was played in the encore.
QUARTER TO THREE
A song written by Gary “U.S.” Bonds in Norfolk and recorded on Church Street in that fair city across the river from Hampton. A rock classic and fitting end to the most amazing concert.