while it is very shameless to self-publish this video, i think the subject matter is important enough that the ego-gods will give me a pass.

not only is this line of research important, it’s very, very vital for everyone to note just how bad my minnesotan accent is getting.

For GOOD 019: The Neighborhoods Issue, we asked a few talented designers, artists, and illustrators to create flags celebrating their neighborhoods. The results were published in the magazine – and are now available online. Mouse over any flag below to see the name of the artist the ‘hood that it represents, and click on the flags to learn more.

i scanned through all the flags and found the four that referenced minneapolis (loring, south, powderhorn, AND uptown were all represented! nice work 612!). of course, you know what i did next, right? i googled the designers of each flag.

call me a stalker, but information is my opiate and in this opiate i am inspired.

the south mpls designer, j-zachary keenan, has simple yet gripping aesthetic and i found myself right clicking on many of his images, tabs upon tabs of text and lines and shapes.

j. zachary keenan's south mpls flad

i wouldn’t know him if i passed him on minnehaha, but that’s the glory of these twisted ‘nets. you are connected to someone who could be your neighbor and then you are sitting on the digital domain of a designer thousands of miles away.

call it freaky, but the internet is my opiate and in this opiate i am inspired.

Driven to Discover: The Research Series looks inside the lives and work of the University of Minnesota’s most daring researchers and sees that they are in fact incredible people who make unbelievable discoveries that improve our lives, our planet, and our understanding.

a production still

it was my 12-hours of fame – and while i look forward to just seeing the finished product, i am even more excited that our research on heterosexism and homophobia in sport will reach more people. it’s important to be able to talk these issues candidly and sensitively and i hope i managed to do that without putting any feet in my mouth.

while yesterday was an amazing opportunity, it was not-so subtle reminder to me we do not yet live in a world where non-heterosexual individuals can feel comfortable being open about their sexual identities. case in point: this post about supreme court nominee elena kagan reflects how heteronormativity breeds heterosexism and homophobia in our society.

Since she happens to be an unmarried woman who has not publicly commented on her sexuality and supports LGBT rights<, many on the right are making assumptions about her personal life — and therefore her fitness to serve as a justice.

this example provides inspiration and further fodder for me as i continue researching the mechanisms and processes that allow AND prevent individuals from sharing their personal life en masse.

the latter, being the inspiration for this post, is a loaded “thing” to believe in as there are so many unique aspects latent and hidden in the word. from the greek technología, the literal meaning can be a the study (logia) of an art or craft (tekhno) – which doesn’t really narrow the scope of its interpretation but is meaningful to me. for example, i’ve been thinking a lot recently about the study of sport is a technology. there is arguably an art and craft to being a [successful] athlete or coach – and as one that studies those groups – i am a technologist and i like that label more than i like any other labels that have been thrown upon me other the years. kinesiologist, journalist, or sociologist never fit quite right and i was always itching when wearing those brands. technology, anyway, was always the common thread  in all of those ensembles.

within the many meanings of technology and the phrase i used above “the power of technology”, social media lives. and the power of social media has been debated both here, there, and pretty much everywhere. there are benefits and drawbacks just like there are in most technologies – and i do not have the time nor inclination to wax about all of them. what i do what to promote today is how social media is powerful and EASY to us to get free and reduced goods and services. also, these examples just go to show that i am both a huge nerd and incredibly lucky – which is a great combination!

collective couponing - groupon and livingsocial have changed my life.  everyday, for many north american cities/locales, a deal is presented – usually at least 50% of a goods or service – and if a certain number of people buy the deal (on groupon this is called the “tipping point”), the coupon is valid. i used my first groupon on friday night at joe’s garage – where we got $40 worth of food and drink for $20. groupon even has an iPhone app, so you can just show them the codes. saving money and saving paper, what could be better?

needtobreathe from first avenue's staircase; view from a vip table

twitter contests – there are a lot of reasons to join twitter – but the one i want to note here is winning free stuff on this petite-blogging platform. just this week, i won two SWEET contests, totally nearly $200 in free-ness (and awesomeness for that matter).

a) first avenue, the iconic music venue featured in prince’s purple rain, runs a trivia contest called #tweettable prior to most of its shows. the premise is so simple – they tweet a question and then you tweet the [correct] answer back. if you are the first to do so AND you already have tickets to the show that night, you are upgraded to a VIP sightline seating table. stephen kellogg & the sixers and needtobreathe would have been quite the show from any vantage point, but were spectacular from the roped-off balcony.

b) in contrast to first ave’s tweet tables, the second contest i won this week was completely and utterly by chance. i follow a lot of minneapolis-based entities (companies, blogs, groups etc) and on thursday, TCFoodFinds tweeted the following:

it is just unadulterated luck that i saw this update and used my super google powers to find out the answer and just like that kate and i will be dining at OM on wednesday night for a six-course meal featuring steltzner vineyards.

Training is going well – so far – we are still in the foundation laying stages as the event is still about four months away. In mid-April, I will be revving up my training for both the Lifetime event on July 11th AND for the half iron I am doing on July 18th. Go diesel or don’t bother, right?

As always, I want to thank those of you who have already donated. I am halfway to my goal of $2,000 and it’s only March! We are doing a bang-up job of helping stop blood cancer! For those of you that haven’t donated – I would encourage you to do so. Over 75% of your donation goes DIRECTING to finding a cure and helping those affected by blood cancer! The following link is both a safe AND easy way to give to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Look for more updates from me in the coming weeks – I have a feeling my adventures will be varied and involve at least one fall due to my new clip-in shoes …

there were a lot of really awesome sleds, including hungry hungry hippos, pacman, and a viking ship made out of milk cartons. my favorite – and luckily the one i captured on video – was the i dream of jeannie sled. the physics of this sled are so improbable, it’s amazing that it didn’t topple over at the top of the hill.

next year i am totally making something equally as crazy – but be assured – i’ll be wearing a helmet. gotta protect the egg!