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The Lion King = Awesome

2012-01-27T10:29:00.003-06:00

Guess what opens today?

THE LION KING.

Wait, you say. Didn't that movie come out, like, thirty years ago?

First of all, no. Second of all, I'm not talking about the movie--I'm talking about the Tony award-winning Broadway musical. Minneapolis is the first city to bring The Lion King to one of its stages (the Orpheum) for the fourth time. This city has good judgment--the show is truly amazing. If you haven't seen it... I'd add it to my bucket list.

The Broadway musical version of The Lion King takes the childish charm of the movie and transforms it into a gorgeous interpretation of animal life on the Savannah. The costumes are stunning, especially larger animals like the giraffes and the elephants. Director Julie Taymor adds a dimensionality to this classic that I never could have imagined. The pictures don't do it justice, but they're a start.

(Image courtesy of s3.broadway.com.)

(Image courtesy of chamberlain12345.wordpress.com.)

(Image courtesy of broadway.tv.)

(Image courtesy of blogspot.com.)

(Image courtesy of nycvp.com.)

(Image courtesy of leesummit.k12.mo.us.)

(Image courtesy of disney-freaks.com.)

If that isn't enough to entice you, how about some fun facts? The Lion King is the seventh longest-running musical in Broadway history (it's been on stage for more than ten years); it's been seen by more than 54 million people in 14 different countries. The show's department of mask-builders spend a total of around 17,000 hours constructing the animal costumes. The tallest animals in the show are 18 foot high giraffes. Pumba's costume weighs 45 pounds. The show employs 200 puppets.

In case you're wondering, I totally know these things off the top of my head, also known as my computer. (The show is that good.)

The power of group buying

2012-01-20T13:57:00.002-06:00

Have you harnessed the power of group buying sites yet? If not, you're missing out. I first stumbled upon that magic last year when I used Groupon to buy a 100 dollar massage for more than half-off, at about 40 dollars. That's nuts. The way it works is that it brings a local business a lot of customers, so they can shoulder the price cuts. A lot of sites like Groupon and Amazon offer hyper-local deals for purchase within a limited amount of time, so I've signed up for email alerts from some of them.

I'm a college student, meaning I don't have a lot of money, but I enjoy even simply browsing through the daily deals. Ah, the future possibilities.

Anyway, I've compiled a list of some great group buying sites that feature deals in and around the Twin Cities. Happy (cheap) shopping!

Groupon. Groupon is the site that started this craze, and they're one of the best out there. I get emails from these guys quite frequently, but they never go unread. Today, they're offering coupons for a dance studio, a trampoline park and a health center... you name it, Groupon's got it. Check them out.

Livingsocial. Livingsocial has a user-friendly set up on their website that helpfully categorizes deals. Looking for family activities at a discount? Livingsocial has some great options, like today's deal on a Harry Potter acting workshop. They've also got a cool feature--if you refer three people to sign up for a deal that you purchase as well, you get it for free.

Dealster. Their site isn't quite as user-friendly, but Dealster offers some great local discounts as well as things that aren't so local, like travel or gadgets. One great offering from group discount sites is deals on gym memberships and the like, which are usually quite expensive. Dealster is no exception to the power of social buying in that it offers discounts like a $20 four-month weight loss program membership, which usually costs twice as much.

HomeRun. This is a site I've just discovered, and it doesn't seem to have as many specifically local deals as some of the others. However, the savings are still there--today they're offering 61 percent off at photobin.com, for instance. They also have a feature called Private Reserve, which saves great deals for Home Run's best customers.

The best of: New Year's resolutions

2012-01-06T11:24:00.002-06:00

New Year's resolutions are usually pretty serious. "Get healthy"; "Pay bills on time"; "Put myself first"--these are some big, important issues. But maybe that's the problem. I recently decided that a good way to help myself to help myself is to make my resolution funny. First, however, I had to decide what my resolution would be, so I went to my trusty google search engine for ideas. Here's a countdown of some of my favorites:

5. Watch more cute and cuddly kitten videos on Youtube. (by Blake Flannery) How better to impact my life in a positive way?

4. Always "check for paper" when leaving the restroom. (From hereinreality.com.)

(Image courtesy of 4.bo.blogspot.com.)

3. Learn how to remember people's names. (This one's actually pretty useful, as is "Become better at small talk." If only.) (From squidoo.com.)

(Image courtesy of fc05.deviantart.net.)

2. I will balance my checkbook...on my nose. (From isavo.net.) That actually sounds quite challenging.

(Image courtesy of 1.bp.blogspot.com.)

The Winner: I won't learn anything new. (From squidoo.com.) Now there's a challenge! I've found my resolution. This is what I'll be concentrating on in the next few months, until I forget I ever made this resolution and start taking in information again. Now, excuse me, I think I'd better log off the internet before read something I didn't know.

(Image courtesy of farm4.static.flickr.com.)

The oddities of New Year's Eve

2011-12-29T11:29:00.003-06:00

So what's with this whole New Year's thing?

Don't get me wrong, I've had my fun times on New Year's Eve. (Well, at least one fun time... just let me think of it.) But I read an article earlier today that asked an important question. Here it is in context:

"In traditions that go back centuries, millennia even, it is believed that how we spend New Year's Day predicts how we'll live throughout the year.

Why, then, spend it with a hangover?"

I never thought about it like that, but this guy's got a point. Is a hangover really a way to start a dedication to a New Year's Resolution?

Anyway, my real point is not to berate drinking on New Year's. I'll probably do it, too, (and it's possible to drink without getting a hangover.) But some of our New Year's traditions are a little odd. For example:

The Ball Drop. Why do we drop a giant ball to celebrate the New Year? Apparently the tradition started in 1907, but I can't find any record as to why. Maybe I'll ask Lady Gaga, the special ball-drop guest this year.

(Photo courtesy of 2.bp.blogspot.com.)

Hey, we're not the only weird ones. Listverse's list of top ten New Year's traditions informs me that the Irish pound on doors and windows of houses with bread for a prosperous year on New Year's eve. But at least that tradition has some explicit significance.

(Photo courtesy of rawsilkandsaffron.files.wordpress.com.)

The cool thing is, New Year's is the oldest holiday still being celebrated around the world--the Babylonians celebrated it as early as 4000 BC. Their celebration used to last eleven days, which makes ours look pretty wimpy. Now THAT would be some hangover.

Theater for the Holidays

2011-12-10T10:06:00.001-06:00

The holidays are a great time to hit the theater. Last year I saw White Christmas twice, and I probably would have gone again if anyone had offered me a chance. Here's a compilation of shows in the Twin Cities (both holidayish and non) that you (and I!) should definitely check out.

Les Miserables. I've never seen this show in any capacity, but I've heard it's one of the best musicals out there. It's playing at the Orpheum until December 18. Escaped convicts, policemen, dying prostitutes... definitely a holiday must-see.

A Christmas Carol. The Guthrie's rendition of this holiday classic has been highly reviewed. I've read that Ebenezer Scrooge is funnier than usual, which is hard to resist. It plays through December 30.

Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella. The familiar story has been "elegantly adapted for the stage, with great warmth and a touch of hilarity." This Ordway production would be a great one for the family, and is probably better than the latest movie version. It opens December 13 and runs through New Year's Day.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Once you see this show, it's difficult ever to forget the Herdmans, the "worst kids in the whole history of the world." This one's playing at SteppingStone Theatre, St. Paul's "professional theatre for young actors."

There's more great ways to immerse yourself in the arts this holiday season even if you don't like theater--check out the Minnesota Orchestra's line-up, or catch a classic ballet rendition of The Nutcracker. (OH, and take me with you.)

Some things I like right now

2011-12-02T11:38:00.001-06:00

Here's some of the things I like right now:

Hugo. This is a kid's movie filmed in an adult kind of way. It's got a terrific cast, particularly Asa Butterfield as Hugo. He portrays an emotional, transitioning young boy really well. Check it out.

New Girl. New girl is a new show from Fox starring Zooey Deschanel (Elf, anyone?) Pretty much anything Zooey Deschanel says is funny, and I still haven't figured out why.

Blackout. This is a book set in Oxford in 2060, when historians do their work by traveling back in time. But time traveling is getting glitchy, and... well, that's where I am in the book so I can't tell you much else, except that I couldn't put it down for like five hours after I started reading. (But now I have too much homework so I can't pick it up.)

Tiny Wings. It's an ipod game that involves a bird with tiny little wings, and you have to help him fly. What more is there to say?

It's a media world out there. What's trending in your life?

Two apples a day keeps the cholesterol away

2011-11-10T10:47:00.001-06:00

Everyone's heard that old saying: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Back when I didn't pay for my own food, I used to eat two apples a day. At least. Once, some of my friends told me that two apples a day was too many--it would make me sick.

That's actually kind of scary. Sorry.

Well, silly childhood friends, I am here to tell you that I am not sick--that, in fact, I have lowered my risk of heart disease by eating more apples than folklore recommended. Check it:

"Chemicals in the fruit have been found to lower the risk of heart disease by slowing down the build-up of cholesterol in the body, say scientists. Drinking a glass and a half of apple juice daily has the biggest benefit, but eating those two apples can also lead to a healthier heart."

Boo-frickin-ya.

This came from a study published in the American Journal of Medicinal Food. After healthy adults ate two apples every day for six weeks, the time it took for cholesterol to break down increased by 20 percent. (That's good--cholesterol gets us into trouble when it doesn't break down, just sits there and clogs up our arteries.)

The apple research made me curious--what are some other fruits and veggies that are healthy for the heart?

Well, the simple answer is: all of them. Apparently. But there's some that do more good than others. America's top heart hospital, the Cleveland Clinic, compiled a list of the fruits that best combat heart disease:

apricots
bananas
berries
cantaloupe
oranges
grapefruit
kiwi
papaya
peaches
(isn't that all the fruits??)

And here's the veggies:

asparagus
bell peppers
bok choy
broccoli
carrots
garlic
onions
leets (what are leets? I'm not kidding.)
leafy greens
potatoes
sweet potatoes
tomatoes (hey! that's a fruit!)
squash

Pick your favorites, write them down and take the list with you next time you go to the store. That's what I'm going to do. Heart disease is America's number 1 killer, but we can fight it with food.

And as soon as I can afford to buy 14 apples a week, I'm going back to my double dose a day.

The benefits of biking, close to home

2011-11-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

Biking as an alternative to driving is good for the environment. You hear that a lot. But sometimes I have trouble comprehending the impact my single 4 minute drive is going to have on the "world." The "world" is pretty big, after all, and I'm not exactly seeing nature fall to pieces before my very eyes (at least if I stay away from the Discovery Channel.)

Then last spring I traveled to Ecuador for a study-abroad program. Part of our four-month stay there consisted of field trips based around some sort of theme. We traveled to the amazon rainforest on the theme of petroleum extraction.

We got to see some of the "fields" where they have been extracting petroleum for years. It pretty much made me never want to drive again.

And then we got to see the rainforest as it should look.

It was so insanely beautiful there, and I told myself now I had something to hang on to in my fight to drive less and be more sustainable.

The thing is, now I'm back in the U.S. and it's hard to remember that place all the time when my car is right in front of me and I live in the middle of the city. I always recycle and try not to waste, but I find it really hard not to drive whenever I need to get somewhere (even somewhere close.)

The Star Tribune just release an article that's helping me re-evaluate. They reported that if HALF of all short trips in the Twin Cities during just the summer months were taken on bicycles instead of in cars, 300 local deaths could be prevented every year. And here it is on a larger scale:

"If trips of 5 miles or less were conducted by bicycle during the 124 best weather days of the year, 11 major cities in the Midwest would prevent 1,100 deaths from lung diseases, obesity and heart disease and save $7 billion annually."

Wow. I don't have to look across the world to see the negative effects of driving--I can just look next door. Or at myself. I love my lungs. They're pretty important to me. I don't want lung disease, and I don't want to give it to anyone else.

Minneapolis is one of the most bike-friendly cities in America. St. Paul is getting there too. I'm not going to stop driving completely, but I think I'm going to take my short trips on two wheels instead of four every once in a while.

The pitfalls of alliteration

2011-10-31T20:25:00.005-05:00

As I skimmed headline after headline about Kim Kardashian's divorce today, I had to ask myself something: Who the HECK is Kim Kardashian?

Don't get me wrong, I've heard of her. It's hard not to, with news agencies deciding to play tabloid and run stories like that more and more often. I've never watched any of her shows, though I'm sure they're all Emmy-worthy. (Ahem.)

But the question remains: Why have I heard of her?

I definitely don't know the names of more than 5 percent of my government officials. I have forgotten the name of my first grade teacher, the man who pretty much taught me to read. I couldn't tell you who the prime minister of Canada is. Canada! That's right next door. And I'm half-Canadian.

Who is this guy???

And yet I know enough about Kim Kardashian to recognize her instantly when she shows up in the news. (The woman is famous for making a sex tape. Really, America?)

My first instinct is to blame the media. My second instinct is to reject my first instinct, and blame myself for really "wanting" to read about stuff like this. My third instinct is to blame the alliteration--how can you forget a name like Kim Kardashian? (Good thinking, mom.) My fourth instinct is to turn right back around and blame the media again. That whole thing the media tells us about giving the consumers what we want? It's a total line. THEY create the demand. Think about it. If nobody had ever told you about Kim Kardashian in the first place I can bet you wouldn't give a darn whether she was married to whatshisname for 72 days, months or years.

I'm not saying shows like "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" shouldn't exist. I'm just saying these guys get enough attention without wasting valuable news headlines on them. Leave those for the Stephen Harpers of the world--the famous people who were unfortunate enough to be born without alliterative names need all the help they can get.

What's scarier than not having MN home insurance?

2011-10-25T12:59:00.000-05:00

Looking for a good place to get rid of the hiccups this halloween? Check out this compilation of haunted houses near the Twin Cities metro area.

The Soap Factory, Minneapolis. (Over 18.) Really, really scary. Really, really popular. In fact, so popular that there's little point putting it on this blog, because they're already sold out for 2011 (though I'm betting you can scalp some tickets online.) If you're interested in a less scary but equally cool experience, they're still offering 'Fraidy Cat tours on Sunday Oct. 30 (a behind-the-scenes look at the basement, guaranteed no scares; under 18 allowed with adult supervision.) Check out their 2010 footage:

Frightmares @ Buck Hill, Buck Hill. (All ages.) Frightmares at Buck Hill is a new attraction, offering four scare areas, live music and more. Metromix called it one of the scariest haunted houses in the twin cities, but there's no age limit, just a recommendation for underage participants to come with a parent/guardian. Here's their 2010 video (warning: there's a lot of screaming):

Nightmare Hallow Scream Park, Columbus. (All ages.) Haunted house, haunted hayrides, haunted halloween cage maze. There's a lot of Haunting going on at Hallow Scream Park, which moved from its previous location in Wyoming, MN to Columbus this year. Take the whole family, but watch this video first:

Screamtown, Chaska. (All ages.) CBS Minnesota put this one in the "DEFINITELY NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART" category. You'll find a haunted Klown House, a scary Hillbilly Motel, a terrifying Rabid Alley and some Terror in the Corn (maze). Have a look:

Don't see one you like? Check out this CBS list, or try googling Minnesota haunted houses--there's tons of ways to get your scare on wherever you are this halloween.

(I can think of another way--not having Minnesota homeowner's insurance. But that's a bad kind of scary.)

Keep the internet open and free

2011-10-20T11:28:00.001-05:00

The Internet. It's potentially the greatest gift to free speech and democracy since... well, anything. I can write whatever I want right now, and I pretty much have the same opportunity to get heard and read as everyone else online. The Internet not only allows people access to the news, it gives your average Joe a chance to interact with it and even create it. Assuming everyone has an internet connection (THAT'S another issue) they have a world of opportunity and knowledge at their fingertips.

But our free and open internet is probably going to look different in coming years, at least if things go as planned by big mobile companies like Verizon Wireless. While the FCC has imposed some "net neutrality" rules on wired internet connections (which are currently being tested in court), wireless internet is unregulated. (And come on--we all know "wired" connections are so yesterday.)

Okay, before you jump on the regulated=bad train, let's get all the facts. It's currently entirely legal (and, many say, likely) for big mobile companies to create paid "fast lanes" on wireless internet. The companies that could afford to live in the fast lanes would have their content streamed faster and better than others who remained in the slow lanes.

That sounds really familiar... it sounds like the real world. But isn't that what's so great about the Internet--that no matter who we are out there, we can step in here and have just as much of a chance as the next girl of making it? We just have to be smart, innovative and persistent.

There's a justified worry that with so much power, the big companies controlling the internet could eliminate competition by slowing down their connection speeds. Some of these companies have vested interests in other markets--television, for instance--so supporting online tv with high access speeds just wouldn't be in their interest.

And chances are, the literal costs will be shouldered by us--the consumers. We already pay to access the internet, but soon we'll probably have to pay to access good content, too. If internet companies start charging service providers, who will the service providers charge to bear the cost? Us.

The FCC hasn't had teeth for a long time. Even the wired neutrality rules are considered, by many, to provide only "fake" neutrality; I'm not optimistic about their ability to keep wireless internet an even playing field.

Big money already dominates so many aspects of our life, and that's generally been a factor that stifles competition and innovation. I, for one, don't want the internet to follow.

Farmer's Almanac predicts a cold one

2011-10-18T13:36:00.002-05:00

It's our second blog post in a row about the weather, but this is something that's kind of a big one in Minnesota: WINTER.

If you trust the Farmer's Almanac, 2011/2012 is going to be an unusually cold and stormy winter. (They're calling it "clime and punishment." Nice.)

If you trust your own Minnesota experience, 2011/2012 is going to be an unusually cold and stormy winter. I find that no matter how I prepare mentally, I'm always taken aback by how ridiculously cold it actually gets here. Thank goodness I don't live in Duluth. Or here:

But let's say the Farmer's Almanac is right, and we do get more storms than usual this year. Are you prepared? Here's a few things I wouldn't have thought of that the Red Cross recommends having on hand when the winter hits:

Bottled water and nonperishable food. (You know, for surviving, etc.)
Extra CASH in case ATMS aren't working. (Blizzard shopping, anyone?)
Car adapter to charge cell phone/laptop in case the power goes out. (Cold AND disconnected? Nope.)
Hand crank emergency radio. (So you can listen to Miley Cyru--ahem, weather reports.)

It's also probably worthwhile to get your house winter-proof now, before it gets too cold. Check out Stay Warm Minnesota for tons of great information about keeping in-home temperatures up and energy bills down.

Too bad it won't be that easy for the Occupy Minnesota protesters, who want to keep demonstrating throughout the winter. Shoulda gone protestin' in Cali.

What the heck is an "Indian summer"?

2011-10-13T13:51:00.001-05:00

Our abnormally warm fall is coming to an end, but there's still something to be gained from those higher-than-average temps. Knowledge.

The other day, one of my professors referenced the "Indian summer" we've been experiencing. I'd never heard the term, and asked him what it meant. He frowned, thought a little bit, and replied that it referred to an unusually warm fall.

("But," he added, "it might be a little culturally insensitive.")

According to Wikipedia, "Indian summer" is an actual meteorological phenomenon--a period of abnormally warm temperatures (read: above 70°F) after a frost, generally in October-November.

So if we're getting nit-picky about it, Minnesota hasn't even been experiencing a REAL "Indian summer"--we haven't had the necessary "substantial period of normal cool weather," at least according to MPR.

Cool, you're talking about the weather. Really fascinating blog post topic, right? But if you haven't stopped reading already, check out all of these different ideas about the origin of this phrase.

"Indian summer" has actually been tracked back to an earliest-recorded moment in time, in the 1778 writings of French-American John Hector St. John de Crevecoeur. The New York-resident wrote: "Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive thevoluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is oftenpreceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the IndianSummer."

Some origin theories:

Daniel J. Boorstin speculates that the term originated from raids on early colonists by Native American parties. Such raids usually ceased with the snow. In early NewEngland and New York, it may have referred only to an unexpectedJanuary thaw, when Native American raiding parties would re-emerge.

October/November was Native Americans' traditional period for harvesting crops of squash and corn; along those lines, the term may have originated from early colonists observing Native Americans using periods of unusually mild weather to enhance their winter stores.

The haziness preceding an "Indian summer" was likely caused by prairie fires set deliberately by Native American tribes.

"Indian summer" spread to Europe, where it eventually beat out sayings like "St. Luke's summer" and "All Hallow summer" to become the most oft-used phrase to describe a late-fall warmth. Many other countries have parallel terms--in many Slavic-speaking countries it's called "Old Ladies summer"; in Bulgaria, it's sometimes called a "Gypsy summer"; in Germany and Austria, it's "Golden October".

It's pretty interesting to track the origin of a term, especially one that's so culturally-loaded. "Indian summer" is a phrase used quite often here--enough to pop up in news headlines every once in a while. But PhraseFinder points out that if it did originate in reference to Native Americans, the term "Indian summer" incorrectly identifies an entire group of people (something that seems to happen to Native Americans quite a lot.) Maybe we should take a leaf out of Latvia's book and just start calling it "re-summer." Short, sweet and to the point--and it wouldn't require 12 paragraphs to untangle it.

Run to Unite

2011-10-11T11:07:00.002-05:00

This blog post is a total plug.

But don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you candy bars or Avon make-up. I'm just trying to get you to check out this video...

... and then sign up for this 5k...

... and help raise some money and some awareness for the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.

The World Food Programme estimated that about 3.4 million Somalians and a total of 10 million people in the region needed immediate humanitarian assistance. The world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab, was overflowing with tens of thousands of new refugees. That was in July.

50 percent: that's the ratio of children coming into refugee camps undernourished.

2 million: that's malnourished children in need of "lifesaving action".

Tens of thousands: that's Somalis who have died over the last three or four months, more than half of them children.

What complicates the situation in Somalia is that Islamist militants control many of the famine zones, making it difficult to deliver assistance. Dozens of aid workers have been killed in the region in recent years, leaving aid organizations wary. Somalia has "lurched from crisis to crisis since 1991" when the central government imploded, said the New York Times.

Minnesota is home to the world's largest Somali population outside of Somalia, a fact that hasn't escaped the organizers of the "Run to Unite" 5k. The run was orchestrated the I Am a Star campaign, which is "unifying members of the Somalia Diaspora, aid workers on the ground in Mogadishu and people across the world."

The race kicks off at 10:30 a.m. this Sunday, along the East River Flats. Benefits go directly to the American Refugee Committee International, the only major aid group that has workers on the ground in Mogadishu.

Well, what do you think?

See you Sunday. :)

Minnesota quadriplegic earns shining star of perseverance

2011-10-06T11:51:00.000-05:00

Jennifer Mundl was 17 when a gymnastics accident gave her a severe spinal cord injury that left her a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic.

Wait--that's not the end of the story?

Nope. Despite a lengthy hospital stay and recovery process, Mudl went on to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees, and to help develop the assistive-technology practice at the Minnesota-based Courage Center .

Earlier this week she was honored as a Shining Star of Perseverance Honoree, an Assurant Employee Benefits award, joining the ranks of Aron Ralston, Senator Bob Dole, Chris Wadden and J.R. Martinez.

"There are no disabilities, but rather varying abilities," Mundl said. "I have always looked beyond a disability and focused on what a person can do. Everyone is unique and everyone is a gift. Through creativity and knowledge we can all impact the world today."

Mundl earned her distinction because of the "fortitude and determination" she has shown since the accident left her paralyzed from the neck down, and because of her work at the Courage Center, where she helps others who are disabled realize their full potential.

Though disabled workers represent a highly skilled talent pool that can help employers compete in today's global economy, great employment barriers still exist. In August, the labor force included 21 percent of people with disabilities as opposed to almost 70 percent of those without. In various industry studies, more than 90 percent of those out on disability indicated that they would return to work if they could.

As the Campaign for Disability Employment puts it: "At work, it's what you can do that matters."

Minnesorta nice?

2011-10-04T13:36:00.000-05:00

"Minnesota nice." That's a compliment to our lovely northern state, isn't it?

Not according to the source of all reliable sources, urbandictionary.com. The top definition for Minnesota nice? "To be "Minnesota nice" is to be passive aggressive. Example: 'I'm Minnesota nice. When I'm angry at someone, I don't let them know. I just smile pleasantly to his or her face and then proceed to talk about them behind their back. I will most likely hold a grudge, too.'"

Ouch. Sounds like Urban Dictionary has been talking about us behind our backs.

Does Minnesota nice still exist? You know, the GOOD Minnesota nice--the friendly, polite, go-ahead-I've-got-the-door kind of nice that once set our state apart from the rest. Let's turn to the second-most-reliable of all reliable sources to answer this one... the Facebook discussion board.

Topic: "Does Minnesota Nice truly exist?"

And... action.

Post #1: "Minnesota Nice does still exist and it lives in Duluth. Not only are the people of Duluth truly nice, but Duluth now has a company, Minnesota Nice Incorporated, that has trademarked the name to make Minnesota Nice® clothing and gifts for all the nice Minnesotans everywhere... check it out at www.minnesotanicestore.com."

(Trademarking Minnesota nice: Is that Minnesota nice? Enter Post #5: "Nobody should be allowed to trademark that phrase... I would never buy a shirt from that company, trademarking that was un-Minnesotan.)

Post #11: "I've lived in many places, but Minnesotans truly are the nicest people." (Hard to beat that kind of evidence.)

Post #14 (in response to another post, which I could not find): "wow... Carolyn, is there a reason you still f*$%ing live [in Minnesota]? Get a life and get the f$@* out of it if it bothers you so much." (Hmmm...one point against Minnesota nice.)

Post #alot: "Yes it does, and there was a study to prove it. Researchers tested public areas all around the country by having an older person spill the content of their shopping bag in a crowded area. The Mall of America was one of only two places IN THE COUNTRY where someone stopped to help. That says it all." (Again, hard to beat that kind of evidence.)

Post #even more: "Minnesota Born and Raised, yes we are nice." (Good to get an unbiased perspective in there.)

In conclusion, Facebook is not a good place to conduct scientific studies, some Minnesotans are nice, and I know what I'm buying my Minnesotan grandmother for Christmas.

Vikings losing all over the place

2011-09-29T11:21:00.001-05:00

The vikings are 0-3 on the field, and after last night they're 0-1 off it, too.

MPR reported that hundreds of people packed a Ramsey County hearing last night to say pretty much one thing: they're not paying for the Vikings' new stadium without a fight.

The Vikings have been reluctant to put their stadium plan on a ballot, and last night was a good indicator of why. Many of the 50 Ramsey County residents who spoke at the meeting vehemently opposed the half-percent raise in sales taxes that Ramsey County has propose to fund its $350 million contribution to the new stadium. Some of them cited economic difficulties; others said the plan simply "offended their sense of justice."

"The law is clear," said Vivek Iyer of Roseville. "It calls for voter approval of sales tax increases through a referendum. Creating an exception to the law is the same as abrogating the law. And that is precisely the problem. Supporters of the stadium are spinning this discussion as one in which the decision-making authority of elected officials is being undermined. That is simply not the case."

State lawmakers exempted the Minnesota Twins ballpark from a similar 2006 vote in Hennepin County. In fact, legal exemptions for sports stadiums are pretty common--two years ago, for instance, California's senate voted to exempt another new NFL stadium from state environmental regulations.

The fact that this issue is even getting press coverage is somewhat surprising, given that most local news stations probably want locker-room access to state's best (hahaha) NFL team. (Okay, and ONLY NFL team.)

The Ramsey County Charter Commission, which hosted last night's meeting, will take more testimony at another meeting in St. Paul on Oct. 11. Then it will vote on whether to ask voters if stadium taxes should be on the ballot.

Presumably, if they vote to ask voters then the voters vote that the issue should be on the ballot. Then everyone will vote again on whether the stadium should be partially funded by a sales tax increase.

That's a lot of voting.

Whatever happened to the middle R?

2011-09-27T10:43:00.002-05:00

Remember that old mantra, "REDUCE! REUSE! RECYCLE!"? We used to chant that in elementary school. I can't exactly remember why.

I was thinking about it the other day and I realized that while I often try to reduce (aka use less) and I (almost) always recycle, "reuse" is a word that has fallen out of my vocabulary. Whatever happened to that middle R?

Recycling has become something of a national craze. Most trashcans I see these days have two compartments--one for the trash, and one for the trash that will soon be made new again. It's AWESOME that the US has finally begun to embrace this arm of environmental sustainability efforts--recycling rates have been on the rise over the past decade (although they still fall far short of potential at only 34 percent of our nationwide waste.)

Minnesota has one of the best recycling rates in the country at 41 percent. In St. Paul, it's as easy to get your recycling picked up as it is to take out the trash (which, as much as I complain about it, really IS easy.) All of that recycling means less pollution, less solid waste and less energy expenditure. What could be better?

As it turns out, the middle R is the answer to that question: Reusing is better. That's right, I said it. Reusing is better than recycling.

Basically what it comes down to is that reusing extends the life of a product, without requiring any extra energy output to do so. Recycling extends the life of a material, but it has to break down the product and then reassemble it first, and that takes energy. I'd never really thought about this, but the processes required to salvage recyclable material from disposed products still pollutes the environment.

So reusing items is the best no-pollution solution after simply not purchasing them in the first place (there's good old REDUCE! I knew he'd pop in to say hello.)

How to reuse, then? Well, that's what google is for. There are tons of people out there who spend their time thinking of great ways for you to reuse your trash, then blogging about it online, so you don't have to! (I'm not one of those people. But here are a few: re-nest, earth911, treehugger.)

You're going to be the coolest kid on the block with your home-made (from reused socks) decorative canned food cozies. Yeah.

Troy Davis case: nothing but sad

2011-09-22T13:54:00.002-05:00

People across the country are decrying the death of Troy Davis, who was executed yesterday for the allegedly killing a police officer in Savannah in 1989. Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI, a former FBI director, the NAACP, several conservative figures and many celebrities have spoken out in support of Davis and against the execution, which finally went through last night after four years of legal battles.

They're not saying that he was definitely innocent. What they are saying is that he wasn't definitely guilty. Yet he somehow made it all the way to death row.

Davis was convicted of the killing in 1991. But he has always insisted on his innocence, and there seem to be some holes in the case, according to abcnews.

Witnesses placed Davis at the crime scene and identified him as the shooter, but seven of nine key witnesses have recanted all or parts of their accounts. Some jurors have said they've changed their minds about his guilt. Others have claimed a man who was with Davis that night has told people he actually shot the officer, though state and federal judges have repeatedly ruled against him.

It's tough, as an outsider, to know what to believe. We only get the evidence that the newspapers print, and that can't be nearly as complete as what convinced a jury that Davis was guilty. Hundreds of thousands of people signed petitions on Davis' behalf, but what do those people really know about the intricacies of the case? But it's also hard to ignore the fact that Davis' attorney's had to pull off a pretty much impossible feat--"clearly establish Davis' innocence"--to get him off death row.

MacPhail's mother claims justice has been served; the media paints Davis as a martyr, whose death demonstrates all that is wrong with the death penalty system.

Whatever the truth, there's no denying we just witnessed a formative moment in the debate over capital punishment in the United States.

Just before he died, Davis implored his family to "continue this fight." So what if they do, and in a few years we discover that Georgia just executed an innocent man?

Former President Jimmy Carter put it well: "If one of our fellow citizens can be executed with so much doubt surrounding his guilt, then the death penalty system in our country is unjust and outdated."

The Supreme Court obviously disagreed. They denied a last-minute stay of the execution after hours of deliberation, despite the widespread public doubt about Davis' guilt. They didn't explain why.

"Killing a man under this enormous cloud of doubt is horrific and amounts to a catastrophic failure of the justice system," said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International AIUSA.

"To them the point is the death penalty," rebutted MacPhail's mother. "Ninety-nine percent have absolutely no idea who Troy Davis is or who Mark MacPhail was. They're just following their belief."

Spencer Lawton, the Georgia prosecutor who put Troy Davis behind bars in 1991, said there were two cases being fought around Davis--the legal one, and the public relations one. And he says the prosecutors continually won the legal battles, and continually lost the public relations ones.

"It's just been my policy, that I not comment on a pending case. And this case has been pending for two decades," said Lawton. "So we have been at an extreme disadvantage ... we felt we were ethically bound to maintain our silence."

And Lawton says he personally has no doubt about Davis' guilt.

Will we ever know the truth? Probably not. But whether Davis' execution was justice being served or a case of mistaken identity, what happened last night is nothing but tragic.

There's not much more to say.

What DOESN'T Google do?

2011-09-20T10:39:00.001-05:00

Remember the world before Google? Yeah, me either. How about when Google was just a search engine? That, too, is fading into the recesses of distant memory.

Now we've got Google+, social networking site. We've got GoogleBooks, online library. Google Flights Search. YouTube (owned by Google.) Motorola Mobility (yes, owned by Google.) I'm surprised Google hasn't simply up and bought the whole internet yet. (Well...I guess there is Google Chrome.)

The thing is, they don't really have to buy the internet--they pretty much have it. Google now controls over 65 percent of the US online search market. That means Google basically dictates what content almost two thirds of American internet users are getting access to--and the percentage is even higher in Europe (over 80 percent.)

Google also controls the majority of online advertising in the US, pocketing over 75 percent of all search advertising revenue and 41 percent of total online ad dollars (with Yahoo following at 11 percent.) And on the internet, advertising is key.

It's that huge level of control that has Google testifying before a Senate antitrust panel tomorrow. As the New York Times put it: "Google's slogan may be 'don't be evil,' but a growing chorus of antitrust regulators in the United States and Europe want to know if the company has lived up to that creed." 13 years ago, Microsoft faced a similar hearing before being sued by the federal government for "abusing monopoly power". (Sound anything like that AT&T lawsuit we've been hearing so much about? Interesting sidenote: if AT&T is prevented from acquiring T-Mobile, Google stands poised to scoop it up instead.)

The worry is that Google is often giving priority to its own businesses in Google searches, using its power to eliminate competition by simply not providing the competition's information. Take Yelp, a popular web site for user reviews and recommendations for restaurants and businesses. Since Google introduced its own version of Yelp called Places, Google searches for restaurants now often display Places entries before Yelp ones. This is despite Google executives' insistence that its search results are the product of extensive user testing and do not favor its own offerings over others.

It's hard not to love Google, what with their occasional awesome holiday-themed home pages and the way they just make everything on the internet so darn easy to do.

But its also kind of scary to think about how much control they already have over our online world, and how much more they could get. Case in point: I did all the searching for resources for this post using Google. I guess it felt a bit dishonest. I guess it serves me right if this blog comes up on page 1,359 of a "Preferred Insurance Minnesota Blog" Google search.

Using music to stay in school

2011-09-19T10:12:00.000-05:00

Every 26 seconds, a high school student drops out.

That's according to a national campaign aimed at slowing that trend, called (you guessed it) 26 Seconds. (Quick question. If 26 seconds succeeds in lowering dropout rates to, say, every 30 seconds.. what then?)

St. Paul's High School for Recording Arts is embracing the program this year, planning to broadcast the message on its radio show: Studio 4 All Access (airs Sundays at 8:30 am on 96.3). Studio 4 features student-written music like the aptly named "Dropping Out" and encourages listeners to "Live green!" and "Stay in school!"

Some of the St. Paul charter school's own students have "feature roles" in the 26 Seconds campaign, including former drop-out Virgil Jackson, 17. He dropped out of school in Madison before moving to St. Paul; regular high-school just wasn't working.

"When I came here, everything changed," Jackson told the Star Tribune. "Everything changed."

Jackson's song "Fly Away" is the school's current song-of-the-year.

The 26 Seconds campaign is a grassroots effort, relying mostly on word-of-mouth and social media to gain followers. As of Monday, wrote the Star Tribune, the 26 Seconds facebook page had 3,014 likes. I think Preferred Insurance made it 3,015.

Praying for the Boundary Waters

2011-09-15T11:49:00.004-05:00

Many Minnesotans will agree: Minnesota is hot. Well actually it's usually really cold, but I'm trying to make a pun here about Minnesota being "hot" as in "awesome" vs. "hot" as in being burned up by a giant forest fire.

I don't think I pulled that one off very well.

To clarify, Minnesota is currently experiencing its biggest fire in 50 years up in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. 500 firefighters face the difficult task of beating back a fire that has already consumed more than 100,000 acres of woodland.

As the Star Tribune reported, "It's complex and dangerous work. The vast landscape means it can take hours for firefighters to reach the flames. Many teams have to paddle canoes to the front lines, then set up makeshift campsites." Not your everyday firefighting (which isn't a particularly straightforward job in the first place.)

Many residents of Isabella, MN--a tiny town that sits on the edge of the huge blaze--have packed up already. Although wintry temperatures, snow and sleet slowed the progress of the fire yesterday, the forecast calls for the return of the kind of warm, dry weather that allowed the fire to prosper and grow in the first place.

It's easy, sometimes, for us Twin-Cities residents to forget the beautiful landscape that makes up the northern part of our state. But how lucky are we to live in a state than can provide views like this?

Large portions of the BWCA are now closed to public access as the fire continues to thrive--there's just not enough public safety personnel to provide safe access to the 1-million-acre area with an unpredictable fire spreading in many directions.

I hope you'll all join me in keeping the Boundary Waters in your thoughts and prayers this week. Good luck to those brave firefighters as they labor to protect a valuable part of our great state.

A Lesson in Gratitude from Keillor and Mondale

2011-09-13T11:18:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, famed storyteller Garrison Keillor and former Vice President Walter Mondale spoke at my college convocation. They made a pretty funny pairing--Keillor, sarcastic in orange socks and red sneakers; Mondale, earnest and virtuous and very Minnesotan. This isn't actually a picture of my convocation but this is pretty much what it looked like. Down to Keillor's shoes and socks. (Okay, that's kinda weird, Mr. Keillor.)

They talked a lot about the declining state of US politics, a depressing subject I'm not really interested in writing/reading/ever thinking about again. (Unfortunately, Mondale called on the entire Macalester student body to take responsibility for getting our country back on track, so I guess I'm kind of accountable. If you've met Mr. Mondale you know he's not the kind of guy you want to let down.) But if you think I'm here to write about politics, you've been totally misreading my blogposts (or I've been totally miswriting them.)

No, I just want to share a revelation that Keillor and Mondale shared with everyone attending that convocation--the obsoleteness of the phrase "work your way through school."

In a literal sense, you can totally work your way through school. Really, to graduate from college you generally have to do a LOT of "working." But in Keillor and Mondale's day that phrase meant "pay your way through school by working at a restaurant (Mondale) or as a parker in an auto lot (Keillor)." Today, that is so far from possible it's seriously not even funny.

When Keillor attended the University of Minnesota in the 1960's, as he shared with his audience yesterday, a term of classes cost $80. That might pay for a week of classes at the U today. When Mondale attended the U of M around the same time, he paid his bills by working as a dishwasher. I might be able to pay for my semester's textbooks with a semester of work as a dishwasher. And I mean might.

NPR cited the Economist for this fun fact: Consumer prices and average hourly wages are both nearly four times as high as they were 30 years ago. College tuition and fees are more than 10 times as high as they were 30 years ago. That does NOT sound like sustainable growth to me.

How did college get so expensive? Why do today's students have years of debt to look forward to paying off with money from the jobs they probably won't be able to get in this economy anyway? Why are there tons more would-be students who won't graduate from college because they can't afford it at all?

Here's three reasons The Economist and NPR came up with. They're nice to have, even if they don't get rid of my debt:

1. College is worth more. In the past 30 years, the income gap between college-educated people and those with no more than a high-school diploma has exploded--in 2008, college-educated men made 42 percent more than those with high school diplomas, vs. 16 percent more in 1980. Since the economic value of a college education is higher, colleges can (should? hmm) charge more.

2. High-end labor has become more expensive. "High-end" labor is what colleges rely on, and according to Forbes the cost of hiring high-end, educated laborers has been rising since the 1970's. This has driven up costs in the education industry, which cannot easily shed laborers.

3. Colleges don't compete on price. The Economist explains this one: "The big problem is that high-status institutions such as universities tend to compete with each other on academic reputation (which is enhanced by star professors) and bling (luxurious dormitories and fancy sports stadiums) rather than value for money. This starts at the top: Yale would never dream of competing with Harvard on price. But it also extends to second-division universities: George Washington University has made itself fashionable by charging students more and spending lavishly on its facilities."

Whatever the reasons, I think it's too bad we've moved so far past the days of being able to pay your own way to a college education--for those kids whose parents can't or won't save for their education, there's little hope for a better future. Keillor and Mondale reminded me of how lucky I truly am to be enrolled at Macalester College right now. Look, sorry, I can't write any more. I gotta go do my homework.

Minnesota is the best, according to national study

2011-09-08T10:56:00.000-05:00

Minnesota is the best!

I'm not just saying that--it's official. A national study told me so.

Okay, so that sounds like a pretty sketchy study. I may have left out a few key words. Try: in long-term care for older and disabled people.

So Minnesota is the best state in long term care for older and disabled people. Um, awesome?

Actually, it is really awesome. The study ranked Minnesota first on seven of the 25 measures it examined, and found that as many as 200,000 people could be kept out of nursing homes EACH YEAR if other states adopted some of Minnesota's best strategies. 200,000 is a lot of people to be living in nursing homes when they don't have to be, and they probably wouldn't be if other states provided the kind of information that Minnesota does about home-care options. If you can't think of any other reason to keep someone out of a nursing home unnecessarily, try this one: it generally costs three times as much to care for someone in an institution than in their home.

Another number of interest was $1.3 billion--that's how much the nation could save annually if it coordinated health services like Minnesota does. That equates to keeping about 120,000 people out of the hospital.

Minnesota has always paved the way in elderly care, AARP senior vice president for public policy Susan Reinhard told the Star Tribune. But we didn't top the charts in every category, and the reports authors said that even the top-ranking states have far to go. The Minnesota Department of Human Services will seek federal permission this year to continue to alter some of the state's long-term care programs, which is what the top-ranking states have always done, said Reinhard. "They try new approaches, then test them to be sure they work, then make more changes."

There was a time--within recent memory--when institutional care was the norm, rather than the exception. That trend has been reversing with a push towards more home and community-based care services. Check this statistic: in 1995, only 30 percent of disabled Minnesotans under the age of 65 and receiving publicly-funded care lived outside of nursing homes. Now? 94 percent do.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services aims to continue that push this year by focusing on putting only the "greatest needs" persons in nursing homes, and providing more home and community-based options to the rest of the elderly and disabled population who receive Medical Assistance.

I'm only 20. But even to me, this seems like a pretty good reason to stick around the state of Minnesota.

Yes, we're still talking about the fair

2011-09-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

It seemed like it would never end, but yesterday the Minnesota State Fair bade fairgoers "adieu"--well, until next year. 12 days, 12 concerts, 12 zillion booths. 1,769,872 attendees, not to mention countless horses, cows, sheep, goats... you get the picture. Our point is, that's gotta be a LOT to clean up.

Never thought about that aspect of the fair before? Neither had we. Enter Maple Grove resident Mike Kuehn-Hadjer. He's though a lot about the waste from the fair. Well, to be specific, he's thought a lot about the poop.

"My passion is poop," he told the Maple Grove Patch yesterday. We're pretty sure he's serious. He gave up a 20-year-career in business retail to become the owner of the Maple Grove location of Doody Calls, a comprehensive pooper-scooper service for animal waste. His branch has serviced the state fair for the last three years, bringing in a crew of 60 workers to maintain the barns doody-free. The semis of waste they haul out daily go to local farmers for re-use.

Poo isn't the only kind of State Fair leftover; 12 days of fun is a messy affair. But as with the poo, the fair tries to reuse and recycle what it can:

GREASE: turned into biodiesel. We can only imagine that the fair produces enough biodiesel to power a small nation.

MEAT SCRAPS: separated into protein and fat; the protein goes into animal feed, the fat into cosmetics and soap. They should definitely include that in the ad campaigns.

FOOD WASTE: recycled. In 2010 recycled food waste amounted to 70 tons.

PLASTIC BOTTLES: recycled. In 2010, there were 300,000. Best case scenario, that's 300,000 more than were thrown in the trash.

As for the rest of the clean-up, apparently that's not a topic a lot of people are excited to read about because it's not in the news. Maybe it shouldn't be in the blogosphere either. (Too late.) We wish all the cleaner-uppers good luck today and look forward to making another giant mess all over again next year.

Where are all the buses?

2011-09-04T11:23:00.000-05:00

A brand new busway... without any buses.

That's what Dakota County is facing after their funding to operate buses was cut as part of the state budget deal. So, as the Star Tribune reports, despite the 10 years and $112 million that have been invested in the busway, there might not be any buses to drive along it when it opens in about a year. And here we though a thirty-minute wait for a bus was long.

The long-awaited budget deal that ended the government shutdown in July cut $51.8 million in transit funding, including the $1 million needed to purchase and run the new buses for the Cedar Avenue busway. The buses need to be ordered right around now to be ready for the opening of the transit line in 15 months, so representatives from Dakota County are scrambling to find funding. So far, this hasn't proved easy.

"We're not looking at big money," said Dakota County Commissioner Will Branning. "It's like peanuts."

But what can they do but keep building the busway, especially given all the money that has already been sunk into the project? Buses or not, construction will continue on Cedar Avenue through next year. So pretty soon we'll either have a slick new light-rail-esque bus system linking Apple Valley and Bloomington, or a bunch of slick, new and (most of all) empty bus stations and bus-only shoulder lanes linking Apple Valley and Bloomington.

Let's hope the central corridor light-rail project still has money for the trains come 2014.

Minnesota raises the stakes on drunk driving

2011-08-31T10:48:00.006-05:00

Is it really possible to get to double digits in DWI's? Apparently, since Paul Garay was recently jailed for his 20th.

Thankfully for Minnesota's sober drivers, early last month Minnesota raised the stakes for DWI offenders for the third time in the last ten years. The changes are primarily aimed at offenders like Garay, who have somehow slipped through the cracks and continued to drive drunk again and again.

About 35-40,000 Minnesota drivers are convicted of drunken driving each year--or around 100 per day. 893 people have been killed by drunk drivers in Minnesota in the last five years.

Before 2002, reports the Star Tribune, there were no laws addressed at repeat offenders, which is how people like Garay have racked up so many offenses and yet remain on the road. Now, four DWI arrests in a 10-year period equals a felony charge and a lot of accompanying prison time.

For the first time as of July 1, every first-time and repeat offender will have the option to have a breath-testing ignition lockout device installed in their vehicle. When it's a choice between that and losing driving privileges for up to six years, a lot of people will probably choose the ignition device. It will allow them to remain mobile and continue to earn a living, and legally at that.

"Regulating behavior doesn't work, and punishing behavior doesn't work," said Hennepin County District Judge John Holahan. "What we're doing is changing behavior."

If they can help cut off the arrest legacies of people like Garay before they begin, Preferred Insurance is all for it.

The World Without Jobs

2011-08-25T10:18:00.003-05:00

It's all over the headlines today that Steve Jobs has resigned as Apple's CEO. A lot more impactful things happen every day (today, for instance, Hurricane Irene hit the Bahamas) but for some reason it's Steve Jobs' resignation that has us all feeling as though the world has just changed a little bit.

Most of us probably didn't think about Steve Jobs a whole lot while he was heading Apple, except when he popped up on that apple stage to reveal the company's latest advance in technology. But we always knew he was there. And now he's not, and we can't stop talking about him. (Hence this blog post.) It's like suddenly having your auto insurance policy disappear and then remembering that it was there when you haven't thought of it for months. Sort of.

Forbes lists him as worth about $8.3 billion, sitting at number 110 on their list of billionaires (34th within the US). Not bad for a guy who dropped out of Reed College after one semester, then lived on his friends' couches and experimented with LSD. He founded Apple at the age of 21 and successfully commercialized the first small computer with a graphical user interface, then essentially got kicked out of his own company after a sales slump and the deterioration of his relationship with CEO John Sculley in 1984.

We know him as the Apple guy, but he actually did a lot during his years away from the company: founded NeXT Computer, bought Pixar (then called The Graphics Group. Good decision on the name change), served as executive producer on the 1995 animated hit Toy Story. Then Apple bought NeXT, and the Jobs was back where he belonged. In the following 15 years Apple brought us not only user-friendly computers but the iPod, the iPhone and most recently the iPad, all of which are not just sweet but also incredibly well-branded and advertised. By all accounts it was Jobs' competitiveness, ambition, perseverance and fierce brilliance that has built the Apple empire into what it is today.

Apple--and Jobs--have become synonymous with innovation and good marketing. Now it's Tim Cook's rather challenging task to step into Jobs' shoes at the helm of the company, and on a salary of only $1 a year. (Seriously. Look it up.) He'll probably do great, and Apple will continue to dominate the market; it's by no means the end of an era. But it's hard to picture Apple without Steve Jobs.

What's that you say? We don't have to? Apple just named Jobs chairman of its board of directors?

Jeez, what a waste of a blog post.

Celebrating School

2011-08-23T10:56:00.002-05:00

This is probably one of the cuter pictures you will ever see, courtesy of the Star Tribune.

These are students at Sojourner Truth Academy, a North Minneapolis charter school. In May of this year, the school was ravaged by a tornado to the point that the final two days of classes were cancelled. So was kindergarten commencement, the school's traditional ceremony for sending its youngest students on to first grade.

Yesterday, three months after the tornado caused half a million dollars worth of damage to classrooms and gym, the school reopened to all of its students and those not-quite-first-graders had their moment. (Check out this great trib video.)

Better yet, principal Julie Guy announced that a reality TV show called "George to the Rescue" will be replacing the school's cafeteria--with a public unveiling to be held in September. The show sends designer George Oliphant to remodel the houses of "deserving" people. When they heard the story of Sojourner Truth Academy, they came all the way from the east coast to be a part of the reconstruction.

Our collective Preferred Insurance hat goes off to everyone whose dedication and hard work over the summer made it possible for Sojourner Truth Academy to re-open on time. But it's even more off to the students there, whose passion for learning is evident in their devastation at the school's closing and their elation at its recovery. We wish you a wonderful school year.

Food that sticks

2011-08-19T12:00:00.003-05:00

As the Star Tribune put it in a headline yesterday, "New State Fair food really sticks to you." We won't try and take credit for that pun. (Nice one, Emma L. Carew.)

She's referring to six new food-on-a-stick items that will make their debut at the Minnesota State Fair next week. Check it out.

Breakfast Lollipop: Sausage patty. Dipped in corn muffin batter. Fried. Deep. Approximately 10,000 calories per bite.

Chocolate-covered jalapeno peppers on-a-stick: Pretty much what it sounds like.

Northwoods Salad: How do they put a salad on a stick, you ask? Using the magic of mozzarella cheese, basil and grape tomatoes, and some liberty with the word "salad."

Pretzel dogs: A hot dog (whatever that really is) baked in pretzel dough.

Pizza on a stick: It's a really big stick.

White Razzie Puppies: Make sure you eat save this one for last, because you may not live to eat again after belgian waffles with white chocolate baked inside, coated in dark chocolate, dripping with raspberry sauce. On a stick.

Those are just the new ones. They join a host of classic state fair foods-on-a-stick--cheese, meatballs, walleye, and pretty much any chocolate-covered fruit you can think of . Planning on trying them all? You might want to check out our great range of MN life insurance options before you do.

Stay Safe at the State Fair

2011-08-16T09:47:00.006-05:00

The Minnesota State Fair kicks off next week--twelve days of Sweet Martha's cookies, the Miracle of Birth, lavish parades and great music on the Grandstand. But the lead-up to our own great state celebration can't help but be marked by the tragedy that hit the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, when a stage collapse brought on by high winds killed five spectators. Our thoughts and prayers out to all those affected, though they may be a few states away.

Although the Indiana State Fair reopened on Monday after a special service to honor the victims, fair officials say that attendance is down and a somber mood has gripped the fairgrounds. As they pass the grandstand, many fairgoers take the time to stop by a small memorial. Several performers have cancelled their scheduled concerts, including Janet Jackson and Lady Antebellum.

Minnesota State Fair officials say they're prepped for severe weather this year. The stage, although quite similar in appearance to the one that collapsed in Indiana, is structurally different (and, we are assured, quite sound.) This year the fair has taken another step towards weather safety in identifying on the map the five best buildings in which to take shelter.

So go out there and have some pure Minnesota fun in the next few weeks. Eat more milk and cookies than you ever thought possible. Cheer on the "athletes" competing in the Agri-lympics. Show off (or hide) your musical prowess in the Giant Sing-Along. But as you do so, take a moment to think of those affected by those who were affected by the tragedy in Indiana--and take it as a reminder to keep yourself safe as you celebrate.

Making Minnesota Roads Safer

2011-08-11T19:29:00.002-05:00

21 Minnesota motorists were ticketed for driving at speeds over 100 mph in July alone, the Duluth News Tribune reported Tuesday. The fastest speeder was clocked at 135 mph.

That's not kilometers per hour. 135 MILES per hour. There's no passing that off as an accident.

The ticketing came as part of a statewide speed-enforcement campaign, which targets areas with particularly high numbers of deaths and serious injuries resulting from car crashes. Speeding often seems like a harmless (and oh-so-convenient) infraction of driving laws, but the Minnesota Department of Public Safety reports that illegal speeding factored in at least 86 deaths in 2010.

If that isn't enough of a reason to remember you have brakes, here are some others:

Save gas. Driving slower saves gas, not to mention reducing emissions. (And it can save you even more if you take to the other extreme, and start driving like molasses.)

Save your insurance rates. A study from Insurance.com found that one moving violation could cause an average annual premium increase of 18 percent (an average of $1,318.) So keep your Minnesota auto insurance rates down by taking your foot off that accelerator.

Save your brain. We're not talking saving it from getting squashed into the road when you get into a crash at 125 mph. Okay, now we are. But another good reason not to speed is simply to save yourself the stress. Speeding often happens when we're running late, trying to get to work/school/doctor's office as fast as we can. We should all try leaving ten minutes early, enjoy our time in the car, and help make Minnesota's roads a lot safer while we're at it.

Eating healthy is expensive?? No way.

2011-08-04T19:09:00.002-05:00

Scientists at the University of Washington has deemed it official--healthy eating is expensive. As if we needed a study to know that. Haven't they heard that unfortunately apt nickname for Whole Foods: "Whole Paycheck"? (Sorry, Whole Foods.)

The study, just published today, found that Americ

ans abiding by new US nutritional guidelines (which call for high levels of potassium, fiber, calcium and vitamin D) add hundreds of dollars to their annual grocery bills in doing so. As food prices continue to rise, so do the number of Americans who can't afford to what the way we want--and/or the way we should. (Yeah, sometimes those are different things.)

We at Preferred understand that most people just want to eat well and feel great, and not send themselves into bankruptcy while doing so, and so we've pulled together some ideas on how to stay healthy without breaking the bank:

Buy generic. There's hardly ever a difference between those name-brand and store-brand products, at least in terms of nutrition. If we're talking cereal-box cartoon characters, then okay. There's probably a difference.

Choose the fruit bag. Instead of paying per pound, get the bagged fruit (usually apples or pears.) It's a better deal.

Skip organic. We're NOT saying organic foods aren't worth the money. (Cough.) We ARE saying that if nutrition is your goal, the non-organic foods (especially fruits and veggies) have the same nutritional value at a lower cost.

Eat seasonally. If you can find foods that are in season (not sure? check out this handy tool) they'll be much cheaper than the ones that have to be imported in. Community Supported Agriculture is a great way to get local, in-season foods. You pay for a share of locally grown fruits, veggies and other stuff (??) and you get a box of those goodies every two weeks or so. It's too late for many of those now but check out this MN list for next year.

Do your research. Sometimes it pays to be in the know. There's a gathering movement toward affordable, sustainable healthy eating and it's happening in your community. Check out Prevention Minnesota's strategy for one take on the issues and the possible solutions.

Minnesota Remembers

2011-08-02T17:56:00.003-05:00

Hundreds of people gathered along the Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis to dedicate a memorial to those lost in what one attorney called "the greatest man-made catastrophe our state has ever seen": the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.

It has been four years since the 8-lane, 1,907 foot bridge buckled, sending dozens of vehicles crashing into the water below. Four years since 171 lucky survivors were pulled out of the water or rescued from trapped cars by emergency crews and bystanders alike. Four years since 13 less lucky lost their lives in the middle of a typical Wednesday evening commute.

Minnesota has not forgotten, neither those lost nor those who survived. The memorial, which sits across the street from Gold Medal Park a quarter-mile upstream from the new bridge, is testament to that. Preferred Insurance Services stands with the state of Minnesota in honoring all of those who were, and continue to be, affected by the tragedy.

"Leukemia doesn't know who it's messin' with."

2011-07-29T17:36:00.005-05:00

Preferred Insurance thought it worth devoting an entire blog post to reprint Alex Prewitt's Star Tribune article about Minnesota wakeboarder and leukemia survivor Alexa Score. It's an incredibly inspiring story, and beautifully told.

(If you want to understand the essence of Alexa without reading the article, check out thefacebook page her sister made in her honor: "Leukemia doesn't know who it's messin' with.")

Cancer can't hold back Minnesota wakeboarder

Alexa Score's friends should have known better. When the 21-year-old former Spicer, Minn., resident said she wanted to become a professional wakeboarder, a few were skeptical of her ambitions.

But doubt the only rookie competing in the women's pro division at WWA Wakeboarding Nationals in Minneapolis this week about anything and chances are you'll be proved wrong.

After all, she has overcome far more than a few naysayers to find success on the water. Score stared down leukemia like an oncoming wave. She soared over it and has never looked back.

Score's chronic myeloid leukemia was diagnosed on Dec. 1, 2006, in the middle of her high school gymnastics season. Right away, her doctors got concerned. Score wasn't reacting to the news like they thought she should.

"Everyone knows I'm kind of stubborn," said Score, who started wakeboarding when she was 10 and began pursuing it seriously around 16. "I don't deal with that kind of thing well. If something's messing with me, that's going to give me that much more fire to beat it. I knew I was going to get better. There wasn't any other way."

Her family knew that, too. "My heart sank," Score's sister Tiffany said of the diagnosis. "Her reaction wasn't tears. It was strictly determination. I can't imagine someone telling me that and having that same attitude and reaction to something so serious. At 16 years old, to face your mortality with that kind of maturity is amazing."

Alexa began sleeping 18 hours a day; the typically early riser even stayed in bed until 3 p.m. on Christmas that year. At times, she couldn't sit up in bed. She went to school for just two hours a day.

That December, doctors at Children's Hospital of St. Paul brought Score into a cramped hospital room with 2-foot-wide windows. Here, they said, she would spend the next few months after receiving the seemingly inevitable bone marrow transplant. The news was devastating.

But Alexa had no intentions of missing the summer. The Facebook group started by her sister said it all: Leukemia had no idea who it messed with.

"Things are going to happen, and you're going to be in a lot of pain," said Score, who will be a senior at the University of Central Florida. "It's real easy to get discouraged, but you have to just have to keep that positive attitude. When you get down, look at those letters again and remember all the people who were behind you."

Two and a half months later, she made a full recovery, without the transplant. The doctors were stunned. Maybe Score should have been also, but she was far too focused on getting better.

"Your mentality will make the difference in recovery no matter what it is," said Score, who continues to take chemotherapy pills as a preventative measure. "Willpower and determination became 90 percent of my recovery.

"The human spirit, the will to live, those are the most powerful things in the universe."

Making the meet

A 2007 gymnastics meet symbolizes Score's journey.

All season, Score told her gymnastics coaches that she would compete at sections to help lead the New London-Spicer High School team to the state tournament for the first time.

"She was never looking for anybody to feel sorry for her," Tiffany said. "I know for a fact that there are people who she's known for years who don't know that she lives with this burden."

Days before sections, however, the bone pain made it impossible for Score, who had lost 15 pounds by then, to make it up the stairs. But new medication, suggested by her pharmacist father, helped reduce the inflammation.

The next day, Score was running up and down those stairs, a moment that brought her father to tears. Her team voted that she should compete. Score won the balance beam and reached states in the floor exercise. The Spicer-New London team won the sections team title.

"That was probably one of the best moments of my life," Score said. "If anything could symbolize success, it was being able to share that moment with my team."

In competition

Score moved to Orlando with her sister shortly after graduating from high school, then spent a year at the University of Minnesota. But she missed wakeboarding too much and knew she had to return to the sport's capital.

Now, one year after winning the amateur women's division at nationals, Score will compete for a title in the pro women's division on Friday.

Standing on the dock by the Mississippi River while preparing for a brief training session, Score methodically coiled a wakeboarding rope.

Staring out into the distance, her dirty-blonde ponytail flapping in the breeze and a yellow Livestrong bracelet riding up her arm, Score was interrupted by boat driver Chris Bischoff. Apparently she was wrapping the rope a little too slowly.

"Wakeboarders are all the same," Bischoff said from the front of the boat with a smile.

Score ushered a response that at once defined her capabilities as a warrior of the waves and cancer.

"Yeah, right!"

Organic Trespassing

2011-07-25T18:35:00.003-05:00

As of today, it's possible to trespass without setting a foot on someone's property in Minnesota. The state Court of Appeals ruled that pesticides drifting from one farm to another can be considered a trespassing violation by the company that sprayed the pesticide.

The court reinstated a suit filed by organic farmers Oluf and Debra Johnson against a nearby co-op, whose pesticides drifted onto the Johnsons' crops and damaged them, preventing them from selling their products as organic. The case is the first of its kind in Minnesota, although the ruling follows precedents set by similar "trespassing" cases in Alaska and Washington. The ruling stated that the drifting of pesticides into the Johsons' otherwise chemical-free fields "constitutes unlawful entry."

Pesticide drift is such a prominent problem that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in April that he hopes to create an insurance fund to compensate organic growers who have been affected by it.

The best of Lumberjack Days

2011-07-21T17:43:00.003-05:00

Lumberjack Days are upon us! Stillwater's annual summer celebration in Lowell park got underway last night and will last until Sunday evening. Even if you missed the Lumberjack Days kick-off, there's plenty to look forward to:

Friday: Downtown sidewalk sales commence at 9am, and the food vendors open at noon. It's five o'clock somewhere, right? Skip out on work a little early and check out a lumberjacking exhibition at 2, or a bmx show at 4. Mountain Ash, Cain and Collective Soul will perform in the evening, but you'll need a park pass for that. Head to bed early... you'll need your energy for Saturday.

Saturday: The early bird gets the pancakes on Saturday--"Pancakes in the Park" starts at 7:30am at the Freight House Restaurant Deck. The road races start at 8am, and if you need motivation to join, running (or walking) now gets you a park pass! There's an inflatable play area opening at 10am, an authentic 1860's baseball game at 11 and a pie contest at 1, among a ton of other awesome events. And in the evening, head to the stage area to hear Gear Daddies and...wait for it...Smash Mouth. So much to do, so much to see.

Sunday: The big daytime highlight of Sunday is the Grand Parade, which launches at 1pm and has over 150 units. The evening concert features the Stillwater Area High School Jazz Band, and both the concert and the entire weekend will end with a lot of bangs (the "Thunder in the Valley" XV fireworks finale, one of the largest fireworks shows in the country this summer.)

Monday: "Lumberjack Days ends on Sunday, silly insurance blog writer!" Yeah, okay. Just checking to see if you're paying attention.

Competing with the heat (which we probably won't beat)

2011-07-19T17:49:00.005-05:00

Our air conditioners seem to have been working overtime in an effort to beat the excessive heat this week. Iowa and Minnesota have set records for peak energy usage, and it's no wonder what with a humidity index of about 500 degrees.

That's great for air-conditioner repairmen, who have seen a big upswing in business (read the kimt-tv article here.)

But it's not so great for our environment--or, as is perhaps more immediately pressing, our wallets. How to beat the heat without breaking the bank?

Well, you could try going to the mall. Yeah, sounds like weird advice, but that's where a lot of Minnesotans have been heading this week (specifically, the Mall of America.) MoA officials say they've seen higher-than-average numbers of people seeking air-conditioned refuge in shopping. (Other great air-conditioned locations: libraries, museums, the freezer section of the supermarket.)

If the stores don't appeal, try hitting up one of Minnesota's many great swimming pools--perhaps an indoor one to escape the sun. (Hey... maybe Water Park of America. Right next to Mall of America.) Check out this list of pools in the twin cities area, and make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen and drink lots of water if you do end up in the sun. And maybe invest in some Minnesota life insurance. (Are we kidding? Is it really "feels like 109" right now?)

Another great idea, courtesy of CBS Minnesota: make something chilly to eat. Chilled soups are a good dinner option, and there's always ice cream (Nelson's, anyone?) for dessert.

The heat might seem like an annoyance, but it can be truly dangerous, as many news agencies have been reminding their readers. Here's a good list of things to remember in these sweltering times, like NOT leaving your dog (or child) in your parked car. Etc.

There doesn't seem to be an end to the heat wave in the very near future, but at least we can comfort ourselves that the east coast will soon be in the same boat... (just kidding, guys.)

Minnesota's $23 million roof

2011-07-16T11:35:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday the Metrodome finally re-inflated its wind-resistant (?) fiberglass roof after four months of intensive labor. (Check out the video of the re-inflation, though it's not quite as exciting as the infamous video of the roof's collapse that went viral last December.) The repairs--which are covered by Minnesota insurance--will cost an estimated $23 million by the time the Metrodome is ready for reopening in early August.

That's one big insurance payout. Check out these other huge claims:

Fake car theft. Lord Brocket of Hertfordshire was awarded almost $7 million dollars when he reported that three Ferraris and a Maserati had been stolen from his property. (That's 1/3 of the cost of the ENTIRE metrodome roof--for four cars.) Then his wife ratted him out and he went to prison for 2 1/2 years.

NZ Quake. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck New Zealand in February of this year led to nearly $750 million in insurance claims--all to the same company, Civic Assurance. Civic insures assets for 46 city councils in New Zealand, including the two hit hardest by the quake (Christchurch and Waimakiriri.) The company was unable to buy reinsurance to extend coverage past June 30, so the two councils have been struggling to find affordable options to cover billions in assets.

9/11. After the September 11 terrorist attacks that struck the US in 2001, insurance paid around $40 billion in insured losses--among them business interruption claims, damage to property and vehicles, life insurance and more.

Katrina. The 2005 hurricane broke 9/11's record for insurance claims, costing around $71 billion. And that number, according to many homeowners who experienced the disaster firsthand, is lower than it should be--many felt ripped off by their reimbursements, leading thousands to file lawsuits against their insurance companies in the years that followed and thousands more to lodge formal complaints with the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

What Preferred Insurance Services Has in Common with Lebron James

2011-07-11T22:04:00.004-05:00

Lebron James is doing it. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers is doing it. Ridiculously successful actor/producer/writer/director Tom Hanks is doing it.

And Preferred Insurance Services is doing it, too.

What is this mystery activity? Tweeting? Drinking 8 glasses of water per day? Offering you a hassle-free search for insurance coverage? (No, wait, that's just us. Shameless plug.)

Nope--we're all supporting the US national soccer team in their quest for the FIFA world cup.

For those of you who aren't soccer people, this is the women's world cup. The US men played last year. And while they topped their group for the first time since 1930 (with two ties and a win, no less) they were eliminated in the round of 16 after a loss to Ghana.

The US women have a much better world cup record than the men, though in an admittedly smaller field of competitors. They've won two out of the five FIFA World Cups. (Remember Brandi Chastain's iconic celebration in 1999?) They're currently ranked 1st in the world.

This world cup, the US have gone 4 and 1 to reach the finals on July 17. They'll face off against Japan (ranked 4th.)

We might rooting for the US, but we're really cheering for the whole thing. As NY Times' Allesandra Stanley put it: "It wasn’t that long ago that Don Imus was fired by CBS Radio and MSNBC for making a racist joke about the Rutgers women’s basketball team, then was quickly snatched up by Citadel Radio. Particularly in a society that is still arguing over the proper implementation of Title IX, this World Cup is a moment when viewers are rooting for great athletes who just happen to be women." (Read the full article here.)

So join us in rooting for those great athletes on Sunday, when the 2011 FIFA Women's Word Cup will crown its champion in Frankfurt.

Does your Minnesota insurance plan do THIS?

2011-07-05T19:48:00.005-05:00

A little bored with your same-old insurance plan? We've compiled some inspirational ideas from around the web on how to spice up your coverage:

Alien abduction insurance. In 2001 a "Captain Beaney" insured himself against abduction, impregnation and consumption by aliens for £1m. And he's not the only one. A 1998 article by Kimberly Lankford said some 20,000 alien-abduction policies have been sold. Check out ufo2001.com, which offers "The Perfect Policy for anyon who thimks they have everything covered." And they mean ANYON.

Abnormal phenomena insurance: In 2002 the Royal Falcon Hotel in Lowestoft insured its staff and customers against death and disability occasioned by poltergeist or other abnormal phenomena. The sum insured was £1m. Poltergeist insurance doesn't seem to be a common thing, but your travel insurance might cover the inconvenient cost of having to change hotels if your initial stay is disturbed by a poltergeist. (Or so says Lorraine Waddell, author of Will You Need Travel Insurance in a Haunted Hotel?) Who knows, maybe your Minnesota homeowner's insurance has got something in the fine print.

Body part insurance: Most people who insure their body parts are famous, but it's not necessarily a prerequisite. You might, like cricket player Merv Hughes, consider insuring your mustache (for $317,000)--or, if hair is not your forte, perhaps emulate Jamie Lee Curtis and insure your legs for a tidy little $2 million. Check out this great list of 25 celebrities with insured body parts: http://www.glamorati.com/celebrity/2008/25-celebrities-with-insured-bodyparts/. And

"Rock star coverage": We have Van Halen's lead singer David Lee Roth to thank for this one. Roth purchased a "Paternity Suit Policy" from Lloyd's of London to prevent crazy female fans from trying to cash in on his success by claiming he had fathered their children. As he told Rolling Stone in a 1985 interview, "I took out insurance in order to make someone think six times before she does anything." Six times? Now that's coverage.

Five good things you might have missed while the Minnesota government was shutting down

2011-07-03T17:17:00.012-05:00

July 1, 2011: Not Minnesota's best day. What with some scary thunderstorms and a far-reaching shutdown of the state government, what should have been a sunny lead-in to the holiday weekend ended up destroying some people's holiday plans and damaging other people's homes. As ABC News' headline theatrically put it, "Holiday Weekend First Casualty in Minnesota Budget Battle." On top of state park closures and the temporary lay-off of about 23,000 government employees, the shutdown means no state lottery, no fishing permits, no state-funded construction, no funding for a lot of social services. Governor Mark Dayton is calling the historic day the worst of not just his career, but of his entire 64-year-long life.

Okay, this was a rather gloomy start to the first full month of summer, but we at Preferred Insurance Services like to keep on the sunny side. And I know for a fact that the day wasn't a TOTAL catastrophe. Here's a look at some of the good things that happened on July 1:

TWINS: 6, BREWERS: 2. So they went on to blow a seven run lead and lose 8-7 in their game against the Brewers the next day. So they finished inter-league play with a losing record for the second year in a row. I'm just talking about Friday here.

Tom Hanks' Larry Crowne hit theatres. It didn't beat out Transformers. It didn't get overly enthusiastic reviews. But this feel-good comedy about a man who reinvents himself after he's laid off his lifetime job at U-Mart is...well, just that. A feel-good comedy. I don't think Empire's Helen O'Hara meant it as a compliment when she said the plot is "puppishly enthusiastic"...but who doesn't like puppies?

Royal Wedding: Take 2. No, you weren't just having déjà vu. This time it was Prince Albert II tying the knot with Charlene Wittstock (former olympic swimmer, current princess) that caught the public's attention. Not to mention rumors of a child Albert may have secretly fathered out of wedlock (this would be the third) and speculation about the royal couple's rather cold-looking relationship... okay, let's backtrack. A new princess!

Dow index up by 5.4%. July 1 saw the end to one of the stock markets' best weeks in two years. Says the NY Times: "The Dow industrials closed on Friday at 12,582.77, a gain of 1.36 percent for the day and 5.4 percent for the week, in preliminary figures. The broader S.&P. 500 did even better, gaining 1.44 percent on Friday and 6 percent for the week." I'm sure that means something to somebody.

Natural selection takes the stage. Did you think I was just talking about 2011? On this day in history--1858, to be exact--the Linnean Society of London listened to a paper co-authored by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace explaining how natural selection accounts for the variety of species on earth, a paper that essentially spawned that little thing we know as modern biology. If that doesn't sort of blow a temporary government shutdown out of the water, I don't know what does.

Happy Summer Solstice! How are you celebrating?!

2011-06-21T11:59:00.001-05:00

Get Plunged!

2011-04-25T13:17:00.001-05:00

Today is National Plumber's Day! Thank you to all the Plumbers out there that fix our leaks, clear our clogs, and who do the dirty work on sinks and toilets. If you know an outstanding Plumber please share.

Earth Day!

2011-04-22T10:23:00.002-05:00

What are you doing to make our World a better place today?

2011-03-25T11:45:00.002-05:00

Remember when you bought your home? How much would it cost to replace it and all your valuables? Do you know? Call now for a free consultation and to learn more about replacement costs for your home.

Treasure your Collections

2011-03-04T10:49:00.002-06:00

Imagine you found the next and best treasure for your collection. You wake up to the smoke alarm. Do you have an inventory of your collection so you can replace it after a fire or other disaster?

Want a QUICK way to create an accurate record? Here's an idea-VIDEO INVENTORY. We help our clients learn new ways to be prepared.

Call now for a free consultation with our leader Brad Gombold 651-255-3500 to learn more about video inventories.

Happy Groundhog's Day to all!

2011-02-02T10:31:00.000-06:00

Winter Carnival 2011

2011-02-02T09:38:00.002-06:00

Has anyone made their way to the Winter Carnival this year? If so what did you enjoy the most? The snow sculptures are simply amazing! Only a few days left don't miss out on the fun.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-29T11:13:00.002-06:00

New Year's Eve is a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Please share your New Years resolution with us.

What Holiday Traditions does your family have?

2010-12-23T10:24:00.001-06:00

What is your favorite Christmas Movie?

2010-12-21T09:10:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

2010-11-23T10:54:00.003-06:00

Please share what you are most Thankful for. Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

QR Reader

2010-11-04T12:13:00.003-05:00

As I was on the computer today I ran across something I had no idea exsisted. It is called QR Reader Code. Did you know that if you have a cell phone that is able to get the application "QR Reader" you can scan QR Reader codes for businesses. Now you may wonder why would you want to do this? Say you are out and about and you stop in to our business. On our counter we have our QR Reader Code. You would take out your phone scan the code and up pops our business profile along with all of our contact information. Including: phone number, website, map. Then it's easy you can save it to your phone, e-mail it, or text the information. I attached the Preferred Insurance services QR Code's try it out.

Don't Text and Drive!

2010-09-10T13:33:00.001-05:00

Check this out.....One of our Clients son's-Luke Fedie is on his way to stardom! Luke created and is featured in a Teen Driving public service announcement . Luke is a senior at Stillwater High School. This announcement will be viewed by millions of people on Sunday night during the MTV Awards. The MTV Video Award...s air this Sunday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. Click here to see Luke's announcement. WAY TO GO LUKE!!

State Fair anyone?

2010-08-27T11:37:00.002-05:00

Anyone heading to the Minnesota State Fair? Check out the new food this year. What are you going to try this year? There are some interesting additions....camel on a stick......fried bologna on a stick.......deep fried bacon cheddar mashed potatoes on a stick....corn dog pizza.

Click here to check out the new food this year.

Coaching Offers Great Reward

2010-08-19T11:05:00.002-05:00

In my personal time I serve as a staff coach with the St. Croix Soccer Club and Hamline University women’s program. The past two seasons have offered my teams great results; The St. Croix Arsenal U19 girls have been crowned State Champions in 2009 & 2010 and in my first season with the St. Croix Arsenal 94/95 (U15) girls they earned the 2010 State Runner-up honor. These among many other tournament titles are the external rewards that the players and coaching staff enjoy but there is much more… The many incredible relationships that have been formed with players and parents is one area of personal reward. After 5 years of coaching the U19 team it is all but a memory now. This team has played their last youth soccer match with Brad as their coach on July 25th. There is no championship or trophy that compares to the following measure of success. It has been amazing to see my players grow into confident, high achieving, respectful young women; that is my greatest reward!

God willing I will enjoy a similar journey with Arsenal 94/95 and the Hamline Women’s Soccer team.

Anyone have any coaching experiences to share?

National Joke Day

2010-08-16T11:22:00.003-05:00

Today is National Joke Day. What is your favorite joke? Please share your joke with us.

Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day is Today!

2010-08-05T09:06:00.002-05:00

It's easy buy a Blizzard and $1 or more will be donated to your local Children's Miracle Network Hospital. Check out Dairy Queen's website for further details. Enjoy your Blizzard!

9 in 10 Teens Text and Drive, Minnesota Cops Cracking Down

2010-08-03T14:01:00.000-05:00

9 in 10 Teens Text and Drive, Minnesota Cops Cracking Down

The Launch of our new Website

2010-08-03T11:49:00.004-05:00

Today Preferred Insurance Services has launched our new website. Please check it out by clicking the link below and let us know your thoughts.

Preferred Insurance Services

Driver Improvement Program Can Save You Money Each Year

2010-07-26T12:18:00.002-05:00

Did you know.....Minnesota state law says that people age 55 and older who complete a state approved defensive driving course are eligible to receive a 10 percent, three-year discount on their auto insurance.

If you are 55+ and interested in signing up for a class please visit www.mnsafetycenter.org for a class location near you. Or give us a call and we will direct you to a class location.

It's easy.....After you complete the course, you will receive a certificate of completion to give to your agent. The savings then begin.