Minneapolis Ranked #3 City for Singles!

I just cannot speak enough good publicity about Minneapolis (the world's finest city). Currently it's the #1 city for business, a top city for retirement, a top city for young professionals, a top city for finance, the second best city to earn a living, the most literate city in America, a top city for the GLBT community, the #1 tech city and now it's considered one of the best city for singles. I'm just curious, why aren't your folding clothes and packing your bags for Minnesota? Get going!


Columbus? Well, it struck a not-too-low #21 on the top 40 list.

I'm from the East Coast--It's Soda.

(Via Strange Maps)

Hitler and Palin: BFFs!!!

Everyday Sarah Palin turns out to be more like Adolf Hitler. Much like Hitler, Sarah gives rousing speeches, loves the Lord dearly and likes to make fun of people who aren't like her. And, true to form, both Hitler and Sarah Palin hate books. Those pesky things keep people educated! We can't have that for America, and Sarah Palin certainly did not want that for Alaska. Why, if the people are educated, they won't vote for me!

So when Sarah was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she decided to make a list of books to ban at the local library. When the librarian refused, Sarah worked to have the poor old lady fired from her position. Luckily the whole thing blew up in her face, but now we are left to wonder: do we want a Vice President who has almost no respect for the constitution? Censorship is the issue at stake here, and if big brother comes swooping into our libraries to start banning books, what will be next? The Government already taps our phones, reads our e-mails and monitors our homes without warrants. Under a Sarah Palin regime, she'd have no problems trashing the constitution, because if you recall from her speech, reading a criminal their rights is a cumbersome task not worth our policemen's time.

Sarah Palin, you are a nazi. The mere notion of you having any shred of a chance at The White House is a terrifying thought, and not only for this country--it is a terrifying thought for freedom itself. I hope your Presidency never finds fruition. I hope you do not get re-elected as Governor. If I had my way, your career in politics would come to a screeching halt. And, yes, I'll say it--I'm crossing my fingers that you go back to your anti-American Alaskan recession group so the world can really see how crazy you are. Because, Sarah Palin, you really are a batshit crazy loon.

Attention Restaurant Workers!

I love my job and have no intention of leaving, but for those of you who work in a restaurant and daily dream of it going down in flames...perhaps you should check out Martini Park! I reported on this upcoming restaurant a few months ago, and now it's coming close to opening time and they're hiring! Here is the info:

Hiring will take place September 15th - 20th, 11 AM to 5 PM @ Martini Park's temporary office, 3948 Easton Way. Send inquiries to: jobs@martinipark.com

• Greeters
• Cooks
• Cocktail Servers
• Bussers
• Dishwashers
• Bartenders/Barbacks

Greatest City Picture.

Is that not the coolest picture of San Diego? Is that not the coolest picture of a city, period? Is that not simply awe-inspiring?

Columbus Ranked Best City for Retirement!

According to Forbes, the magazine that always has some sort of city ranking going on, Columbus is considered the best city to settle down and live out your final days in. Dallas ranked second, and Minneapolis (pictured below) ranked third.

(So, truthfully, I was just looking for an excuse to post another picture of the world's finest city, Minneapolis!)

They derived these rankings by factors such as number of people over 65, life expectancy in the metropolitan, number of Doctors per-capita, percentage of people living below the poverty line, cost-of-living and house affordability. Here is the top ten best cities for retirement:

1. Columbus, Ohio
2. Dallas, Texas
3. Minneapolis, Minnesota
4. Houston, Texas
5. Salt Lake City, Utah
6. Indianapolis, Indiana
7. Denver, Colorado
8. St. Louis, Missouri
   
9. Atlanta, Georgia
10. Nashville, Tennesee
    

Unemployment Highest in Five Years.

Well this can't be good news.

The unemployment rate soared to a nearly five-year high in August as employers trimmed jobs for the eighth straight month, the government reported Friday.

The unemployment rate rose to 6.1%, the highest level since September 2003. That's up from 5.7% in July and 4.7% a year ago.

In addition, the economy suffered a net loss of 84,000 jobs in August, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, compared to a revised reading of a 60,000 job loss in July.

The U.S. economy has lost 605,000 jobs so far this year.

Although I have a job, I work as a server and thus rely on tips. With the gloomy economic climate as it is, the first thing people drop is dining out--and thus my salary has taken a stab (more like a gouge).

"Foreign Experience? I Got That! I Worked at The International House of Pancakes!"

I know this isn't a political blog, but these YouTube videos are just so funny!

I Never Cared for John McCain.

So, John McCain. He talked last night. I didn't like it. Of course I'm biased, but after Barack Obama's unforgettable speech at Invesco Field, you simply could not recreate nor come close to trumping what happened in Denver.

Political Analyst Bill Schneider had this to say about the speech:

My view is: It was a simple and sincere speech that gave testimony to his character, avoiding most divisive social issues. But it did not seem to answer the question, "What are you going to do about the nation's terrible economic problems?"

His answers seemed very much part of the past: cut spending, cut taxes. He really needs to find a new and bolder economic plan.

He tried to claim some of Obama's major campaign themes Thursday: unity and change. But when McCain talks about change, he talks about changing Washington. When the Democrats talk about change, they're talking about changing the way things are going in the country.

If voters are choosing between two men, they will probably choose McCain. If they're choosing between two policies, I think Obama has the edge: His are newer, smarter and fresher.

McCain represents the failed policies of the past. We tried Reaganomics and Bush tax cuts, and look at where we are now: we have the largest deficit in the history of our nation, unemployment is coming close to 6%, we're in two failing wars, we have an economy in crisis, gas prices have tripeld since 2000...these are the facts, and when McCain continues with "cut taxes, reduce spending", just as every Republican has said, I agree with Bill Schneider...we need a new economic plan. And after last night, it's official that McCain has no new good ideas in order to fix this nation. He claimed to want to "open new markets" that will stop jobs from going overseas...but, for one, he made no mention of what these new markets were (recall he couldn't even identify what financial markets were) and also usually opening new markets will ship jobs overseas!

Lastly, John McCain's ending was just terrible. Not the actual writing; that script was rather beautiful. But his delivery was so poor. He continued to barrel on through the zenith of an hour-long speech, shouting over crowds that were cheering. It was like the Academy Awards, and once the "shut up music" began to play, he just kept on going. Really a bad way to end the most important speech of your life.

There are only 59 days left until the election.

Jon Stewart Knocks it Out of the Park!

Sorry for all the videos today, but this is incredible.

Bitch Slap!

Sarah Palin, I Don't Like You.

Sarah Palin may have just delivered the most condescending, sarcastic, ill-informed, presumptuous and downright demeaning acceptance speech ever. Ever.

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities,"

"Listening to him [Barack Obama] speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform -- not even in the (Illinois) state senate... What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?

A+ for delivery.
F- for content.
Grade: FAIL.

Horrid...absolutely horrid. She spoke outright lies about Obama "never passing a law" and Obama's "plans to increase all taxes", she insulted and mocked his role as a community organizer (a swipe Obama has not taken about her own thin amount of experience), she referred to blue voters in the city as elitists...I seriously did not think I could dislike this woman so much.

Sarah Palin, thumbs down.

(And PS, can we all agree John McCain looked like the Crypt Keeper tonight? Eww, gross).

Well Said.

Speaking about the possibility of Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter, Bristol Palin, appearing on-stage tonight at the RNC with her baby's dady...

Perhaps I'm focusing on an irrelevant issue, but the presence, or non-presence, of Johnston on the stage tonight strikes me as important. It's one thing for delegates to be understanding and compassionate about the fix these two teenagers have gotten themselves into. It's another to actually celebrate it. And, given what we've learned in the last few days, if Johnston is up on stage with his girlfriend and the Palin family, and Republicans are wildly cheering, it will certainly look like they are celebrating this situation.

I don't usually engage in these scenarios, but I'll do it here. If the Obamas had a 17 year-old daughter who was unmarried and pregnant by a tough-talking black kid, my guess is if that they all appeared onstage at a Democratic convention and the delegates were cheering wildly, a number of conservatives might be discussing the issue of dysfunctional black families.

Hammer Hits Nail on Head!

Because clearly that made sense.

Obama Talks Urban Development.

When it comes to big plans, I'm always skeptical. Frankly, if we're talking anything in the billions, I want to know everything about the project--both good and bad. So with Obama's Urban Development Promotion, I'm not entirely sold yet. Part of the plan introduces a new Federal Bank, raises the minimum wage to $9.50 and also spends annually $6.7 billion on an anti-poverty initiative.

Barack Obama's campaign plans to relaunch his "urban agenda" Monday in what people close to the strategy say is an effort to assure urban leaders and voters of the Democratic nominee's commitment to cities and minorities without alienating skeptical white voters.

The plan features an increase in the minimum hourly wage, a new White House office focused on metropolitan areas and $60 billion to establish a national bank to finance public-works projects.

The campaign didn't give a total cost for the plan, but the 32-page blueprint that will be released during a meeting of the Democratic Party's African-American caucus includes tens of billions of dollars in annual spending on antipoverty programs, the new federal bank, education efforts and other new initiatives. Obama aides say much of the funding would come from an estimated $200 billion saved from reducing government waste and ending the Iraq war.

Michael Coleman, the black mayor of Columbus, Ohio, will lead the discussion Monday before the caucus. A series of town-hall meetings staged in various cities will follow, each led by mayors and other local leaders.

I'm the biggest supporter of anything pro-Urban planning (see: name of website), but before shelling out upwards of $100 billion, I'd like to see a bit more than a 32-page pamphlet telling me about it. (Yet at the same time, it sure beats anything McCain has to offer...oh wait! He doesn't have anything to offer. The free market will fix poverty! Duh!)

ZPizza Coming to The Sho No!

(Via The Dispatch by Bill Chronister)

Steve Curtis is about a month from opening Ohio's first zpizza, a gourmet pizza concept that began in Laguna Beach, Calif., in 1986. The restaurant will take the 2,286 square feet at 945 N. High St. once filled by the Emack & Bolio ice cream shop.

Zpizza, which lists about 80 shops across the country and expects 100 by the end of the year, uses high-quality ingredients to create pizzas available whole or by the slice, as well as salads, sandwiches and some desserts.

Examples of pizzas include vegetarian options such as a Greek style and Tuscan mushroom, and a Provencal with homemade garlic sausage. There's a whole-wheat crust option, and soy cheese is available. There's also a meatball sub.

Prices start at $2.50 for a slice and $5.95 for the daily special of two slices and a soft drink. Salads are priced from $5.50 to $6.95 for a small, and whole pizzas are expected to start at $8 for a small cheese and range up to $19.95 for an 18-inch "zcreation."

Yeah That's Not Gonna Work...

Whheeee!!!!!

News from "The New South"!

I love Charlotte, North Carolina. If you haven't been there, it's a fun town with tons of bars and crazy southern partiers, a great downtown (which they call "uptown"), a beautiful skyline, fantastic weather and also is home to some of the country's largest banks (Bank of America, Wachovia, etc.). It's growing as fast as Phoenix, Columbus and Minneapolis, and is one of the few cities that hasn't been hit too hard from the mortgage crisis.

On top of that, after only 9 months of operation, Charlotte's brand new light rail system is almost at ridership projections... for 2025. Looks like people are finally getting with the program!

(Streetcar? Columbus? Anyone?)

"Movie Voice" Don LaFontaine Dies at 68.

I used to wonder what would happen when "that movie voice guy" died. I would joke about the most inappropriate celebrity voices to take over, noting that Bill Cosby could possibly be the worst announcer of an upcoming horror movie.

Sadly, Don LaFontaine died on Monday. He voiced over 5,000 movie trailers.