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Karen Cole

St. Paul, MN
Commenter for
4 years 5 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 08/08/12 at 01:33 pm in response to Photos of the famous (and not): Distinctive decor on St. Paul's West Seventh

I love visualizing the cart and buggies coming from Fort Road when driving down West Seventh.

And now I'm going to have to check out Maharaja's. I've never stepped foot inside.

And I didn't know Springsteen filmed Dancing In The Dark at the Civic Center. A good excuse for looking at it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs

And thinking about...

Posted on 06/12/12 at 10:54 am in response to Letter from Skunk Hollow: Digital tools open the world of bird song to anyone

I need to get a smartphone so I can access these songs in the field.

In the meantime, I'm using a great book -- The Backyard Birdsong Guide. It has pictures and descriptions for hundreds of birds, focusing on their songs, and then a little attached cassette so you can punch a button and hear a bird's song. From the Cornell Lab. They call it an audio field guide. May be a little clunky to put in a backpack but great for identifying neighborhood birds.

Posted on 05/16/12 at 11:58 am in response to In the shadow of elevators, streets spawn artists, broken hearts

I loved this look at Hiawatha.

And it raised a question for me. I've seen a couple stencilled crows on walls in my neighborhood in St. Paul. They are about a foot high and very nicely done. They just kind of mysteriously appeared on surfaces that are kind of abandoned near Grand Ave. They are on our usual evening walk so we wonder about them every day. Could Broken Crow have anything to do with them? I'm dying of curiousity. Does anyone know?

Posted on 05/16/12 at 02:38 pm in response to In the shadow of elevators, streets spawn artists, broken hearts

But they look like crows to me.

One of them now has a stencil of a gnome with some mushrooms next to it. But I think it's probably by a different artist. Just a hunch.

Let me know if you want to know where the ones I've seen are.

And I hope you are able to get to the bottom of this!

Posted on 01/18/12 at 01:40 pm in response to Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are uncoordinated

For more on Colbert and his super-PAC see this NYTimes magazine article from a week or so ago:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/stephen-colbert.html?ref=maga...

The article talks about how the super-PAC offered to pay $400,000 for the costs of the Republican primary in South Carolina if the...

Posted on 11/08/11 at 10:32 pm in response to Income inequality in Minnesota's largest counties

I think the reason it's a problem is that people don't feel they have a common stake in things. When people feel they're stuck at the bottom and can't get ahead, they're less likely to want to work for the common good. Same with people at the opposite end of the spectrum. I think one reason this country moved forward so much after WWII was that there was a feeling we were all in it together. That common sense is very undermined now.

Posted on 11/07/11 at 12:24 pm in response to Can paywalls and tablets save newspapers?

I know there's been thinking that online advertising isn't enough and can't save papers. But take a look at what I just encountered on the NYTimes website. Of course, they have a paywall now. But a couple days ago, I received a notice that Lincoln was paying my access fee so that I have free access for two weeks. Wow. I have warm and fuzzy feelings about Lincoln whenever I go online. Maybe that kind of advertising works. It's effective, so NYTimes can charge for it and I get free...

Posted on 02/12/11 at 12:06 am in response to Subcommittee dismisses ethics complaint over email from Sen. Newman's office

Apparently, the tape from the closed door session is "blank." Even though the same equipment somehow taped the open part of the meeting just fine.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/115931809.html?cache=n&uccb=12...

Posted on 02/11/11 at 12:31 pm in response to Subcommittee dismisses ethics complaint over email from Sen. Newman's office

No probable cause to begin an investigation?

He doesn't remember anything, his staff person didn't testify, and his staff person is still employed.

Posted on 01/17/11 at 02:34 pm in response to Roster moves: MPR, Midwest Home, The Line

Were'nt the staff on MidMorning there for a long time? They were some familiar voices when the host was away. There was obviously some very good preparation that has gone into that show. What is happening with the senior producer and assistant producer who have been there?