Obama Continues Minneapolis Tour. Harriet Bandshell Speech. (FULL VIDEO)

Obama continued his Minneapolis tour today with a speech at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. Full video from the UpTake follows.

Obama visits Minneapolis again. Town Hall. (Full VIDEO)

President Obama visits Minneapolis again for a Town Hall speech in Minnehaha Falls Park. (Full VIDEO follows)



THE REVIEWS ARE IN.
 http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_26042243/obama-tries-put-upbeat-face-his-record-during



http://bringmethenews.com/2014/06/26/original-owner-of-matts-bar-dies-hours-before-obamas-visit/

REST IN PEACE MATT!

Minneapolis Mud Slide Closes W. River Parkway

After tons of rain, there's been a mudslide on W. River Parkwy/4th St. S, resulting in 12-14 ft of mud on the roadway. Traffic being diverted.
 7:33p UPDATE: Bike path, walking path and roadway being barricaded and they're calling for front end loaders to remove the mud.

KMSP-TV  FOX reports hospital engineers told the fire department the foundation beneath Fairview’s oxygen tanks was undermined in the slide. Safety officials estimated 15 to 17 stories of mud and trees came crashing down. FOX says officials believe no cars were buried or swept away but were working to verify that.

KMSP-TV

Historical collapse..1874 iron bridge "10th Avenue" washed away.

An historical relic and marker of time on Minneapolis's river of history. The final evidence of the 10th avenue pedestrian bridge, has undergone the tipping point. Where there was an unofficial monumental reminder, now there is the after sight..
Ever so slowly letting the waters take it. Defying gravity, suspending your disbelief! The iconic, last, 10th avenue pier, has finally crumbled into the river.

Recently seen from satellite, it still had enough of a stature to cast a shadow.

Please research more about this event at the following links.

http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/262964321.html

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/262917191.html

http://bridgenumber9.com/2011/09/21/today/when-will-the-leaning-tower-of-pier-fall/

Photos by Lisa Peters

Minneapolis Metrodome Demolished with Explosives! MUST SEE VIDEO! Wow!

History was made today as a major portion of the Metro Dome was demolished via impressive explosive charge. Check out all the videos people are posting on YouTube tonight!

Explosion, Fire in Cedar-Riverside Minneapolis. 14 injured. EXTENDED PHOTOS.

Extensive photojournalistic photography, was provided by Minneapolis Unlocked community.

Photo by C. Reed

About 50 Minneapolis firefighters and several rigs were called to the scene after the fire was first reported at 8:16 AM, and battled the flames for three hours in sub-zero temperatures. PIONEER PRESS PHOTOS





http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=minneapolis&filters=today&page=2

New Animation Shows Viking Stadium Construction

A new animation just released by Mortenson Construction, shows the deconstruction of the Metro Dome and simultaneous building of the new vikings stadium.

Unfortunately there is no code to embed the video, but you can find it at the following Star Tribune link.
http://www.startribune.com/video/228943471.html#/228943471/video/1/eovr

Yet ANOTHER Water Main Break in Minneapolis!!

 Location of the newest Minneapolis Water Main Break.

This time the underground residents of the SEXTON building were flooded out, as another pipe burst and gushed. It's tragic because there were artists with work in the sub level of the Sexton.



KMSP-TV SLIDE SHOW AT KARE11 http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1043289/391/Mpls-water-main-break-floods-streets-apartment

More VIDEO at http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/23738308/apparent-water-main-break-in-minneapolis

 http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/228553981.html

Partial Building Collapse In Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Authorities are on the scene of a partial building collapse in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Police Department reports that part of the building at 616 5th St. N. collapsed around 10:49 a.m. Thursday. Police are assisting but the Minneapolis Fire Department is taking the lead on the incident. 

All employees are accounted for and no one was injured. The building is a two-story business called Weather-Rite LLC and according to its website, “is best known for high quality, industrial grade, premium featured commercial and industrial HVAC systems, including make up air (MUA), custom air handlers, large air volume heating and cooling air turnover units.”

 Multiple agencies are on the scene.

I'm not placing blame or exposing a cause, but just saying that location is RIPE for development. The building currently there, is supper shitty. Now they can demolish it and build something with a little more height and start working the whole strip of land to the North West. Logically, you'd think they'd want it full of new condos, like the area directly across the freeway.

You call it a mysterious building collapse, with causes under investigation. I'll call it a shady ground breaking on the new development district, just blocks from the Light-Rail Transit and the Twins Ballpark.

UPDATE: Oh, as I see from further reading, the lot next door was being demolished and excavated when this "Accident" happened. So it's more of a case of whoopsy daisy! Two birds with one backhoe! But I was right on the money, that this area is being "developed". PEACE.

http://kstp.com/news/stories/s3194364.shtml

http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1042961/391/Partial-building-collapse-halts-demolition-in-Mpls

http://www.startribune.com/local/228207181.html

Editorial comments follow.

"The collapse was reported around 10:51 a.m. Thursday at the Weather Rite building.
Fire officials tell KSTP.com there was construction nearby, but it’s unclear if that is directly related to the collapse.  **EDITORS NOTE: Why would that be "unclear". I can see from the photos that it was related**
A portion of the eastern wall that is about 30-40 feet in length collapsed. The building was occupied at the time, but no injuries have been reported, fire officials say. A city engineer is on the scene checking the structural integrity of the building. The incident is under investigation"

"Assistant Chief Cherie Penn says firefighters responded to the call shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday.
 Penn says no construction workers and no firefighters were hurt, and the fire department has already cleared the scene and turned it over to officials with the city's regulatory services department. She says construction work has been halted for the day. She says the cause of the partial collapse was not immediately known, and she didn't have details about the extent of the damage or about the construction project."  Editors note: Oh yeah, we don't know what caused this or what's going on with this construction project, but all clear.. Here ya go City Regs, we'll toss this one back to you... Funny.

Lyn-Lake House Explodes killing 2 pets. :(

A south Minneapolis house has reportedly experienced an explosion, caught fire, and partially collapsed this afternoon.

Lot's of twitter photos from City Pages and KARE 11 here:
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2013/09/lyn-lake-area_house_reportedly_explodes_partially_collapses.php

Car falls into Mississippi River at Mill Ruins Park!

BREAKING STORY A car is reported to have gone into the Mississippi River near Minneapolis Mill Ruins Park! It's a very strange location for a car to fall into the river, but I suppose I see how it could happen.. News reporters are en route to the scene. More media as becomes available.

UPDATE:  KARE 11 is reporting that multiple dive teams are searching the river.



I can not, for the life of me, figure out where the reporter above is standing! If she's "right next to the lock and dam" there is quite a lot of lower structure the driver would have had to get through before plunging into the river.  Is this a real incident?

UPDATE: A man is dead after a car went into the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis Monday night. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said Minneapolis police received a call of an erratic driver on West River Parkway around 9:20 p.m. The car veered off road and Minneapolis Park Police Agents saw it go down an embankment into the river, according to Sheriff Stanek. The car went through a fence before it ended up in the water near Mill Ruins Park, just before the lock and dam. Read the full story: http://kstp.mn/6loc4

Ahha! I finally figured out the exact location where the car entered the river.

SEVERE MORNING WINDSTORM Causes Damage Across State. 505,000 Without Power!

UPDATE: Here is a link to an in depth review of this weather event. Looks like the National Weather Service was doing deep research.
A powerful line of storms rolled through Minneapolis at 5:50am this morning, knocking down mature trees onto cars and roadways, just as the sun was rising. Localized flooding was also a problem. Wind gusts were measured as high as 65 miles per hour ahead of the storm. This 2 days after a morning storm June 21st packed winds of 80 miles an hour, causing widespread power outages.
The line which hit Minneapolis area was part of a larger system, extending many states south and north into Canada.
At it's peak, over half a million people were without power.

Video at Star Tribune

Aftermath of the June 21st morning windstorm:

Gorilla Forest Now Open at Como Zoo!

Today marked the grand opening of a new "Gorilla Forest" exhibit at como zoo.
FULL COVERAGE AT GOOGLE NEWS
I remember being there a year ago and reading about the plans, thinking that it would be pretty cool. I was surprised just now to notice it's been completed, and is now open to the public!

 They have 7 SilverBack Gorillas in what is the largest all-mesh gorilla enclosure in North America!


Google Maps and Google Earth show it as still under construction...


One of the Silverback Gorillas is affectionately known as "Thunder Chunky". It's an amazing gorilla with a face that looks almost human!

More photos at MPR
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/06/05/news/como-park-zoo-gorilla-exhibit

 More video Here http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/06/06/st-pauls-como-zoo-introduces-gorilla-forest/

Ignorant Criminals Destroy Minneapolis History!!! Nicole Curtis Attempts Heroic Preservation.

A 133 year old home on PARK AVENUE in Minneapolis, was maliciously destroyed today. This historic house was built BEFORE ELECTRICITY! All the woodwork was handcrafted by incredibly skilled builders, before your grandfather was born! To put it in perspective, this house was built before the STONE ARCH BRIDGE was completed!

Speculators with no regard for our city, history, or proper logical procedure, were allowed by corrupt bureaucrats, to demolish it. Even if they valued the empty lot more the the structure, it could have been deconstructed and a wealth of rare materials gained.
A restoration hero called Nicole Curtis, attempted to prevent this criminal activity before, and during it's realization. She not only offered to buy it, move it, pay everyones salaries, whatever it took to SAVE IT, BUT she also spoke truth to these idiots, and leaped into action. Going as far as she could, standing on the porch, while the bastard in the bulldozer endangered her life. This is an assault on the soul of Minneapolis by uncreative, inflexible, power tripping fascists.

http://coololdbuildingsmn.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/old-house-warrior/
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/208518211.html
http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1026848/396/Cable-TV-star-tries-to-stop-demolition-of-Mpls-home
http://www.vita.mn/crawl/208566531.html


You can support Nicole by following her DIY Network Show on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/nicolecurtisrehabaddict?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/nicolecurtisdesign

Curtis said she had offered to buy the house and move it to another vacant parcel on Park Avenue South. Those plans were apparently moving forward as late as Tuesday when she and her supporters learned that a demolition crew was on its way. Asked why the deal with owner Robert Anderson fell through, Curtis said she didn’t know.

“I have offered crazy money for this,” Curtis said. “This house was a shining example of old world architecture here in Minneapolis. It was just boarded. That was its only crime.

Owner Robert Anderson could not be reached for comment

http://www.diynetwork.com/rehab-addict/show/index.html

Horrible Crash on I-94 in North Minneapolis. 3 Dead.

A horrible accident on interstate 94 on North Minneapolis.

Google for Entrepreneurs, Minneapolis Partnership with CoCo / Project Skyway!

Google for Entrepreneurs has discovered Minneapolis! They recently announced a partnership with CoCo / Project Skyway technology incubator in the Minneapolis Grain Exchange building.
When the Grain Exchange floor ceased trading, it was converted to a public space for tech company incubation and acceleration. Innovative start-ups can find peers, collaborators and angels there in.
Now we have a powerful and welcomed new partner! Google For Entrepreneurs is going to hang around for two years and be a part of the Minneapolis Magic.
I'll let the videos and press coverage posted below do the talking. But hey, now that Oculas Rift is shipping, and Google is here, listening, maybe it's time for me to start up the New Technology Entertainment Company envisioned here, hmmm? :)
P.S. I heard a rumor that Google is making Minnesota the first "FIBER STATE"! As in, not just one city, but Fiber Optic Internet statewide.. Probably taking advantage of Fiber Optic infrastructure that was installed along with the Central Corridor light rail from Minneapolis to Saint Paul. Exciting times! Stay tuned.
 http://www.google.com/entrepreneurs/initiatives/coco-minneapolis.html

 Here is where the space is located:
 And here's what's happening there:

Google+ Hangout on Air with Mayor RT Ryback:



  Press Coverage of the event. 

http://cocomsp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/GFE-Press-Release_2-20_final.pdf

Minneapolis Water Main BREAK! FLOODS DOWNTOWN BLOCKS!!!

 Many blocks of downtown Minneapolis are flooded, after a 36 inch water main was broken around 2pm this afternoon. The water service is OUT in a large area of Downtown. There are cars submerged in an underground parking ramp. Businesses are closing for the night because the area is now inaccessible due to police road closures. **Dynamic Updates in progress, Please reload page for more**
 The private contractors, who ruptured the line, released this statement: "At approximately 2:30 PM, while our subcontractor, United Sewer and Water, was doing work near a City of Minneapolis water line, the line ruptured. We are currently investigating the cause of the accident. The incident occurred on the site of our 222 Hennepin apartment project, located on the corner of Hennepin and Washington Avenues. We are relieved to report that no one was injured as a result of the accident and the site has been evacuated. We are actively working with Minneapolis City officials to shut off the line so that repairs can be made. Further questions should be directed to the City of Minneapolis Public Works department."

 LIVE VIDEO from KSTP: http://kstp.com/livevideo/videoWindow.shtml?aID=735
 POLICE SCANNERS: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?ctid=1336 (look for the feed with the most listeners) 
Web Photo Gallery at: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/01/03/water-main-break-in-mpls-leaves-hennepin-avenue-underwater/
 Social feeds (TwitPic, etc.): http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2013/01/downtown_mpls_water_main_break_no_poop_in_the_north_loop.php
REAL TIME COVERAGE AT GOOGLE NEWS: https://news.google.com/news/rtc?ncl=dgk3jiCDQZiMntMiiMlOWZtI7XqQM

  RAW VIDEO:
  RANDOM CROWDSOURCED PHOTOSYNTH:

Amy Sensers new home, Shakopee Prison. Virtual Tour.

Amy Senser has been sentanced to 41 months in prison for the Hit-And-Run death of Restaurant Mavrick, Anousone Phanthavong.

She was found guilty of 2 felonies earlier this sumer. Husband, former Minnesota Viking Joe Senser, did not attend the sentencing hearing. The Phanthavong family said justice was done today, and they forgive her. FULL COVERAGE NEWS

This is the facility in Shakopee where she will be spending the next 3 and a half years.
 
 You can take a virtual tour at the following link! http://www.doc.state.mn.us/aboutdoc/tour/flash/shk/Tours.html#
It looks much nicer, and less prison like, then any public school I've ever been to! It's in a residential neighborhood, so there are no fences that neighbors might find oppressive. There's sports, work, and the courtyards are full of flowers. 

 Anyway, See ya in the spring of 2016..

New Vikings NFL Stadium Virtual Reality Technology Smart Park Vision!

The New Vikings NFL stadium will become a reality. Most of the politics are now wrapped up, and development is beginning. We are still in the planing phase. There is call out for community input, because this project will be MUCH MORE then just a football stadium. What's being developed, is an unprecedented, year-round community of the future. This post is to influence development of the project from a state of the art, visual technology perspective. I'm fully aware that I'm writing the future here. I'm also aware these ideas are extremely powerful, to the extent that what I write here will revolutionize a massively lucrative industry. I'd like to date this influential report 7/7/2012.

For starters, this Vikings Stadium/ Minneapolis community is a BILLION DOLLAR development! 
I remember seeing stories a few years back, about Dubai building a SPACE PORT for 240 Million. So a billion dollar football entertainment complex, developed in 2012 better be outstanding!!
With that in mind, I'd like to see the New Vikings Stadium become a futurist technology park, during and after the big games. In this post, I hope to describe my vision and walk you through the available technologies that are ripe to develop a new experience. An extraordinary, compelling, high level experience which will put Minneapolis at the absolute head of entertainment technology innovation.

There are a few newer visual technologies you will want to comprehend. When put together in the context of attending a football game, they are frankly mind blowing. These technologies include Free View Point, Augmented Reality, Geo-location, Virtual Cameras, Smart Goggles, 3D Video, User Tracking, Performer Tracking, Powerful Mobile Computing, and very powerful new Computer Vision algorithms which process live 3D video data, and recognize all manner of objects. Many of these technologies are ready now. Some are still being developed.

Before getting deeper into the vision and technologies involved, I'd like to say that these development potentials can also be incredibly attractive to partners that the City of Minneapolis may not have thought of. We've not yet sold the naming rights! Can you imagine a Minnesota Vikings / Google Technology Park? Maybe a Microsoft/Vikings Viewpoint Stadium? Perhaps a bidding war between the two? Integrating futurist  visual technology infrastructure from the start, opens vast creative development options.

So into the vision..
Superbowl 2017. The Vikings Football Visual Technology Park has been open for one season. It's advanced offerings and amenities have been a thrill of which world had not yet seen! And so, it was an obvious choice to host a Superbowl, ASAP. Season ticket holders begin to populate their suites and seats donning Smart Helmets*. These futuristic headsets provide live audio and 3D video feeds, as well as informational overlays for the environment around them. They're available for patrons to own,  but many opt to rent for use during a single game. While watching the game, viewers can enjoy the amazing capabilities of these devices. They can track the scores and stats of individual players in Augmented Reality. And, they can use it in conjunction with the stadiums visual systems infrastructure, to access a personal virtual camera, providing a 3D point of view from any perspective imaginable. Wearing the Smart Helmet around the facility, patrons can be directed to concessions and enjoy special exhibitions.


The descriptive research videos below will do most of the talking, but, I'll try to explain how virtual cameras and 3DHD "free perspective" live video works.. 
An estimate of 30 to 60 4k-resolution HD cameras (that's four times the resolution of 1080p) would be positioned around the Vikings field. (As technology is accepted and refined, we may even see the player cam POV) When the game starts, the cameras all feed their imagery back to a central computer, which synthesizes all the video into a live 3D scene. Users can then fly around that virtual environment using a gamepad, a smart phone, or tablet Surface, as if they were actually on the field, live, in high definition 3D. You can virtually stand in one of the goals, virtually follow the ball, or virtually lock yourself into the perspective of any player. You could review instant replays in much the same manner as John Madden XBOX video games!


If you are aware of the way Avatar was filmed using performance captured actors, and virtual cameras in a CG environment, the Football game would proceed in much the same way. Albeit the computer vision is advanced beyond the need for funny performance capture suits. Computer vision easily detects all players by number, uniform and by face.


I think I've told enough to get your imagination going, and now I can turn it over to a collection of research videos. When you put all these emerging technologies together into a Football Stadium, the result is the ultimate entertainment experience. But as mentioned, this "Stadium Park" is desirable for much more then the 12 games of the NFL season. People will travel to Minneapolis from world wide, to experience the future - 10 years ahead of the curve! Using the concept of a "Technology Park", the Smart Stadium becomes a place for virtual tourism. It's a destination, which grants you the keys to visualize our city in ways previously impossible. More about non-game day applications after these videos!



Just an example of older technology..

New technology is advanced!



 



More insight on "Virtual Camera" systems






With a fan experience this impressive, just imagine how luxurious the broadcast room will be! It will be the envy of the league!


So you can see how in a very short time, the fields of Computer Vision, Gesture Recognition, Virtual Cameras, Augmented Reality, athlete/object tracking, 3D Headsets, Video processing and raw computational power have matured to a phenomenal level.
Now add to the mix, virtual tourism, 3D geo-mapping, and 3D City modeling arts, and you'll have fantastic experiences the internet cannot yet contain.. People would want to visit the Smart Stadium Technology Park to gain access to the cities visual and informational resources, found only there.


You've seen what augmented reality and virtual cameras can do, to provide an amazing perspective for the game day patron. Now imagine what happens when THE ENTIRE CITY becomes the playing field! Utilizing new geo-mapping paradigms, live camera feeds can be projected onto 3D models. It's possible to map every live public traffic and street camera to a high quality 3D map of Minneapolis. Imagine Google Earth LIVE and on steroids!  Privet Security corporations are already doing this, but think about the City allowing access to it's camera system for tourisim and entertainment! Visitors can learn about the history and attractions of Minneapolis by FLYING around in a 3D Virtual Reality simulation of it. But not your grandpas old school VR. We're talking a mature technology, state of the art, innovative implementation. All cities will be like this in the future. The internet itself, strives to accomplish this. Minneapolis could have it first.












So, if you're going to Minneapolis in 2019, can you expect this?






Your comments below, or at this Minneapolis E-Democracy post ( http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls/messages/topic/1oxKEu6BJ9ScGYECmTjBG7 ) , are appreciated. (just click "no comments")

North Minneapolis Tornado Path Visible in Google Earth Imagery Update!!

I opened my Google Earth tonight, and am possibly the first to notice a fresh imagery update has just been published for Minneapolis. To my surprise, you can make out THE PATH OF THE TORNADO! A scuff mark across the north-side is unmistakable. And within the scuff zone, you can see many homes with blue tarp roofs. From Wirth Park, through Wilard-Hay, Jordan, Fowell, Weber-Camden, you can see the tornadoes path because the trees were destroyed and the foliage is less dense. On average, the tornado path appears to be 4 blocks wide, traveling diagonally to the north-east.

A few buildings are seen destroyed. Notable among them, the Broadway Liquor Store, which was recently torn down.

UPDATE: Google MAPS has new imagery too, showing even more dramatic views. HUNDREDS of blue tarp roofs and missing trees. Dumpsters parked in yards for clean up. Pan around the map below, or click it's link to view larger.

View Larger Map

^West Broadway Liquor Store



Compared to what was previously available, the new imagery is stunning. In addition to the tornado damage, you can see new construction which was not depicted until now. The new Lowry Bridge, The Twins Stadium, Gophers Stadium. I'm sure I'll be exploring all night. I recommend you open up Google Earth and take a look!