Decade in Review: Personal Stuff

2000: Promotion at work, post college dropout job turns into career

2001: Started my blog, became a Liberal after years of being Independent/Conservative

2002: Watched the Gopher hockey team win it’s first National Championship in 23 years. Greatest sports moment I’ve ever seen live

2003: Went on my first date in 5-6 years

2004: Best year ever, fell in love

2005: Really got into craft beers, went to NYC for the first time

2006: Got Married

2007: Sold house I bought in 99, moved 6 blocks west, turned 30

2008: Joined CSA, changed the way we cook and eat

2009: Found out we were having a baby

Basically, the last decade ended with me being about as depressed as I could get and this one ended on a complete high, so I’ll call that a win.

2009 Music: Best of

Top 10 Albums for 2009

1. Fanfarlo – Reservoir
2. Lacrosse – Bandages For The Heart
3. Metric – Fantasies
4. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
5. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
6. Throw Me The Statue – Creaturesque
7. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
8. The Boy Least Likely To – The Law Of The Playground
9. Bats for Lashes – Two Suns
10. P.O.S. – Never Better
11. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
12. Handsome Furs – Face Control
13. Passion Pit – Manners
14. St. Vincent – Actor
15. Eyedea & Abilities – By The Throat
16. David Bazan – Curse Your Branches
17. The Thermals – Now We Can See
18. The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
19. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
20. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Most Listened to Artists during 2009

1. P.O.S.
2. Lacrosse
3. Brother Ali
4. The Decemberists
5. Phoenix
6. The Rural Alberta Advantage
7. Neko Case
8. Fanfarlo
9. Metric
10. Bat for Lashes

Most Listened to Tracks during 2009

1. P.O.S. – Goodbye
2. P.O.S. – Purexed
3. P.O.S. – Drumroll (We’re All Thirsty)
4. P.O.S. – Let It Rattle
5. Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps – Tying My Shoes full track
6. P.O.S. – Low Light Low Life
7. Toki Wright – Next Best Thing
8. Solid Gold – Get Over It
9. Phoenix – Lisztomania
10. Phoenix – Fences
11. Dirty Projectors – Useful Chamber
12. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Don’t Haunt This Place full track
13. The Rural Alberta Advantage – Drain the Blood
14. Eyedea & Abilities – This Story
15. St. Vincent – Actor Out of Work

2010 is going to be a very good year :)

also posted on Tumblr with a bunch of likes from tumblr friends.

Top Concerts of the Decade

I don’t go to as many shows these days as I used to, but I do feel like I’ve seen a lot of great shows. I’ve seen over 160 shows this decade  and probably a lot more since I don’t have a record of a lot of the local shows I went to earlier in the decade. Picking a top 10 wasn’t easy, but I do feel like this is a great summary of my music habits over the years.

If you want to see my full list of concerts I’ve seen over the years, you can see them here: Full Concert List

1. 11/27/04 – 400 Bar – Arcade Fire
   Seeing that their career completely took off in 2005, I’m still in awe of how great it was to be at this show. So many people on a tiny stage, drumming off of band members wearing motorcycle helmets, on the walls, on the floor, on the ceiling. (my review)
2. 10/14/01 – Civic Opera House – Bjork / Matmos
   Historic theaters in Minneapolis are nice, but they are incredible in Chicago. I still have my opera-style glasses they handed out at the show, which we definitely had to use since we were seated so far back. This is still the only time I’ve seen Bjork, my favorite music artist of all time.
3. 6/23/01 – Gorge Amphitheater (WA) – Radiohead / Beta Band
   8/23/03 – Alpine Valley Amphitheater (WI) – Radiohead
   Two Amphitheater shows that were fairly similer. The show at the Gorge was great because a bunch of us went out to Seattle to visit some friends that were living there at the time. The venue was beautiful, and it was just a great time. Alpine Valley was memorable because even though the venue kinda sucks, and we were super late in getting there and missed Steven Malkmus open, my buddy Ben and I were able to snake our way through thousands of people, all the way to the front of the general admission area. (my review, Jamie’s review)
4. 11/11/00 – Crocodile Cafe (Seattle) – Death Cab for Cutie / Pedro The Lion
   I had seen both bands a few months earlier in Minneapolis (separate shows), but nothing beats seeing two favorite bands in their hometown.
5. 6/3/04 – 400 Bar – The Decemberists
   Very similar to the Arcade Fire show in that we had no idea they would end up as big as they have become, and also in the amazing energy they displayed on such a tiny stage in a small venue. This show was after both Castaways and Cutouts, and Her Majesty The Decemberists had been released, so it would have been great to have been at the Triple Rock show. (my review)
6. 10/31/03 – Fitzgerald Theater – Belle & Sebastian / The Hidden Cameras
   What made this show so great was that it was on Halloween night, and everyone was all dressed up. The bands and the audience both, all dressed up in costumes, sitting in a beautiful theater. And this was also my first time seeing Belle & Sebastian, which made it all the more special. (my review)
7. 3/26/02 – First Avenue – Death Cab for Cutie / Dismemberment Plan / Cex
   Death and Dismemberment Tour. Best concert name ever. And two of my favorite bands from early in the decade
8. 1/7/05 – 7th St Entry – Atmosphere / Musab / P.O.S. / Swiss Army
   I think the first time I saw Atmosphere in concert was during a music and movies event in Stevens Square Park sometime after Overcast was released around 97 or 98, and I’ve seen them quite a few times since then. But this 7th St Entry show was part of a week long series they did. P.O.S. opening was a special treat, though I would have much preferred to have seen Brother Ali. (pre show review)
9. 9/23/09 – First Avenue – Sunny Day Real Estate / The Jealous Sound
   SDRE was my favorite band in college in the late 90s. I think I listened to LP2 non stop, much to the distaste of my roommate. I had seem them a few times before, but never with Nate on bass, and never with as much joy as they had on this most recent tour.  (review)
10. 6/8/07 – 400 Bar – The National
    I hadn’t planned on going to this show until Kyle sent me a text saying that there were tickets available at the door. I was really getting into them so I drove down as fast as I could. So glad I did. Such a great show.  (my review)

Honorable Mention:

1/7/08 – Nomad World Pub – Nada Surf
This wasn’t a full show, but  a special acoustic set for a Reveille Magazine Party. It’s still the only show I’ve ever seen of theirs, which really sucks, because Nada Surf is one of my favorite bands. (my review)

6/24/04 – Pantages Theater – The Magnetic Fields/Andrew Bird
The Magnetic Fields weren’t all that great, but we walked away super impressed with this whistling and violin playing guy named Andrew Bird. (my review)

7/27/05 – Minnesota Zoo – Tegan and Sara
The MN Zoo is such a great place to see a show, and this was shortly after So Jealous, one of my favorite albums of the decade. This show was also the first time I met Kyle from More Cowbell. (my review)

5/27/00 – First Avenue – Elliot Smith
I don’t really remember this show anymore, but I’m glad I was able to see him live.

Also posted on Tumblr

Minneapolis Election 2009

Hey, did you know there is an election next week? And there is actually some importance here in the great city of Minneapolis.

First, it’s the opening day of Ranked Choice Voting 2009, so be prepared for a lot of confused voters.

Second, Minneapolis is voting on whether or not to get rid of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, while also electing two new members. Obviously, most of the candidates are pressuring voters to keep the board of which they are running for. Shocking. Even the president of the Board is pushing to end it in her excellent opinion piece to the Star and Tribune. Well worth a read. There is a feeling that by eliminating this Board will lead to the elimination of the independent Minneapolis Park Board, but there is no evidence of this at all.

Third, a major US city is electing a new mayor, but you’d never know by the lack of quality candidates (no offense) or media attention. Not that I’m complaining. I’m a huge RT Rybak supporter and thrilled to have him in Minneapolis. RT could run for Governor next year, but I really hope he stays in the city.

Below you will find what is on my ballot in my neighborhood of Minneapolis, a few important links, and who I am voting for. Special thanks to Aaron who explained a lot of the races to me over a chat session this morning. Hopefully he will do a blog post this weekend with more info on the races. Please add information of any race going on in your neighborhood and thoughts on the election.

What’s on the Ballot?

Mayor
-R.T. Rybak (web)

Minneapolis City Council Ward 12
Star Tribune Questionnaire
-Sandy Colvin Roy (web)

Board of Estimate and Taxation (2 at large members)
Star Tribune Questionnaire
Editorial: If board stays: Wheeler, Martens
-David Wheeler (web)
-R. Michael Martens (Independent/Republican, but better than Becker or Townsend)

Park and Recreation Board (3 At-Large and 6 District Commissioners)
Star Tribune Questionnaire
Star Tribune Endorsements
John Erwin
Annie Young (fantastic activist)
Tom Nordyke

District 5
Jason Stone (web) – (super nice guy, very genuine)

Change the Composition of the Board of Estimate and Taxation
BET President urges voters to vote YES
Vote YES for Mpls
-YES

 

Twitter Digest on Tumblr?

So, I kinda want to display my twitter posts on my Tumblr page, but having each Twitter post as a separate entry is a little unnecessary. So I thought of doing a daily digest. What do you think? Please vote in the poll…

First Game at TCF Bank Stadium

I was never much of a football fan growing up, only occasionally watching the Vikings, and never really getting into college football. Had I gone to the U, I probably would have, but my only college football games were at Camp Randall in Madison. Games were a lot of fun, but the Gophers sucked every time we played there.

For some reason, I really started to get into college football a few years ago, mainly because of the hype of the new on campus stadium at the University of Minnesota. So a friend and I bought season tickets at the Dome so we’d be able to get them at the new stadium.

I quickly realized how shitty the dome was for college football. There was no excitement on game day and the place rarely sold out. Heck, they only filled the place when we played Wisconsin or Iowa, and most of the fans were from those schools. That’s just not acceptable for one of the largest colleges in the country, in a major US city, and one that has the history of college football that Minnesota has had.

If Saturday is any example of how college football days will be going forward, Gopher fans are in for a treat. Campus was electric. Maroon and Gold filled University Ave, Stadium Village, and Dinkytown. Frat houses had parties with alumni of all ages, and there was tailgating! Everything that is supposed to happen on game day.

The Game was exciting, and the Gophers won, but that was hardly the most important part of the day. College Football is back at the U, and hopefully this will mean a return to national importance. Like it or not, college football is a major money maker for Universities, and something the U has had missing for over 25 years.

Here are some pictures from the day…

Why I gave up East-Lake.net

Earlier this week, I made the tough decision to stop blogging at my long time home of east-lake.net. Why? I’m still not exactly sure, I’m sure I’ll regret it later on, and might even go back, but I thought it was time for a change. I wasn’t posting often enough to make it what I wanted it to be, so it was time to move on. Here is a little history of my blog, why I decided to change, and what I look for going forward.

What I really wanted to do was make East-Lake.net a blog about my neighborhood, Longfellow and the whole East Lake St area, and I still think that is what the site should be. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t all that good at it. I’d read about local news and events online and in the neighborhood paper, but wouldn’t pass it on it time. I eat out at area restaurants but wouldn’t review them. My goal is to clear out the site and start fresh, but we’ll see if that ever happens. Life gets in the way too often.

When I started blogging, I used it as a journal, posting my daily activities, adding thoughts on politics and sports and music when they came up, and the occasional internet find. When privacy became more of a concern, I dropped the personal stuff. After the 2004 election, I became more apathetic towards politics, and so I stopped writing about that. I didn’t want to be a sports blogger so I tried to limit those posts. So I was left with occasional food, beer and concert reviews, but it wasn’t all that much fun anymore.

Blogging was all for myself, just a place to write what I wanted to write, and I used it as a way to keep in contact with my friends that were moving away from Minneapolis and those that I just didn’t see as often. Blog posts created comments which meant more interaction with those friends. Over the past few years, posting and commenting was way down and it kinda sucked the life out of it all.

At the same time, I started using Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook more often to connect with people and I started to change my thoughts on blogging. What started out as a more personal outlet, was becoming more community based. Only recently did I start to get out more and meet the people that had blogs that I had been reading for years. And that interaction was great.

Twitter is a great medium for instant news and conversation. Tumblr made reblogging and microblogging simple, as well as created a community of blogs, all visible from a dashboard. Facebook extended that social aspect to even more people, many of whom probably never blogged before.

Most personal blogs never really had that community feel, with the exception of those that really do a great job covering a specific topic, but there are very few of those. For Most blogs, I, and I will assume most people, just read them in a Feed Reader, rarely even going to the main site. This is fine for most people, writing just to write, and knowing that people will read it but not comment or continue the conversation. One of the better community blogs are those that have multiple authors, but then you lose ownership of your posts, and they just get lost in the site.

Tumblr isn’t perfect, but it’s probably the best platform I’ve seen that tries to make a community of bloggers. You still get your own page that you can take ownership of, but there is a Dashboard where you can view all the blogs that you follow. I’m a big fan of “liking” posts, just so I can tell the person that posted a story that I liked it. So simple, but effective. Commenting takes time, and most often there isn’t a whole lot to say. Google Reader has recently added the ability to like posts, but it still feels a little clumsy.

Tumblr isn’t perfect, but it’s close. I’d really like to see the ability to add comments without using disqus, and make those comments appear more inline on the dashboard. And I wish Tumblr had an export tool so I could take my posts with me if I decided to use something else, or just wanted to add them to my old archives over at wordpress.com. Actually this might be more of an issue than I first thought it was. Might have to think about this a little more :)

So, I think my plan is to use Tumblr for short term blogging, and use my WordPress.com page for long form entries, and then importing summaries of those entries into Tumblr. I don’t really care if I have some random post from Tumblr saved in my archives, but it would be nice to have the more traditional blog posts saved. I just don’t need to pay to host those random entries.

So, now that I’ve kinda decided to just use Tumblr as my main outlet for short form blogging, I still had the issue of wanting to collect all of my stuff in one place. Flickr, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook are all great for what they are, but it is nice to have a one stop shop for everything related to Brian Moen. I could have just imported those into Tumblr, but I assume that most people don’t want to see an entry in their feed reader for every twitter post I make or flickr photo I post.

This is where FriendFeed comes in. My friendfeed page will have everything I do, for those that want to see it all. FriendFeed isn’t perfect either, but it’s a decent place for now.

Basically, I didn’t want to completely stop blogging, but I was ready for a change, and hopefully it works out. I’m sure this is more than you care to read about this, since it’s not even all that much of a change, but whatever.

Minnesota State Fair

Sometimes I forget just how much I love the Minnesota State Fair. The people, the food, the live newscasts – it’s all a perfect way to end the summer.

We brought our camera, but didn’t take a single picture, except for this one camera phone shot from the Sky Glide. We were too busy eating and enjoying the great Minnesota Get Together!

We had:

• Nacho Mama Dog (Tex Mex beef dipped in batter, deep fried and topped with cheese and all of the nacho fixings)
• Cheese Curds
• Stanly’s Sugarbush Maple soda from Renewing the Countryside
• Roasted Corn
• Ole and Lena’s Krumkake (filled with whipped cream and topped with a strawberry / blueberry sauce)
• Wild Rice Burger
• Funnel Cake

The Nacho Mama Dog and the Krumkake were two of the better State Fair foods I’ve had in a long time. The Cheese Curds and Roasted Corn were as good as always. The Wild Rice burger was decent, and the funnel cake was something that I haven’t had in years, but really enjoyed.

Changing Things Up

East-lake.net as a blog is gone. Thanks for reading, commenting, following, and everything else. I’m not completely going away, just changing things up a bit. Check out the 8 years of archives or follow along on the main page, which is now just my FriendFeed (twitter, tumblr, and flickr). The RSS feed has been updated to show my Tumblr posts, which is where I’ll be updating things from now on, so you won’t need to update your feed reader. Thanks!