Bloghttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/en-US2008-12-01T16:53:44ZSquarespace Site Server v5.0.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Sunday in the parkhttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2008/8/15/sunday-in-the-park.htmlMike2008-08-15T15:16:40Z

A few Sundays ago at Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis.

]]>R.R., R.I.P.http://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2008/4/16/rr-rip.htmlMike2008-04-16T19:48:13Z

Ralph Rapson, architect
September 13, 1914 - March 29, 2008

]]>Miracle on 54th Streethttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2008/3/17/miracle-on-54th-street.htmlMike2008-03-17T12:42:54Z

]]>Mind Your Mouthhttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2007/12/3/mind-your-mouth.htmlMike2007-12-03T23:03:38ZEmma Clarke, the voice of the London Underground and "mind the gap" lady, was fired for recording spoofs and posting them on her website. Here are a couple of her spoofs: (click play)

boomp3.com

Although I didn't know her by name at the time, her "mind the gap" recording was sort of the initial inspiration behind the Mind The Mind name.

I remember getting off the tube in London and hearing one recorded voice on the tube telling me to "mind the gap" while another voice on the platform echoed along in sort of a dueling British reminder.

"Mind the gap" refers to the gap between the edge of the train door and the station platform. It's a Londoner's way of saying "watch your step."

Just as their version of "exit" is "way out."

]]>Art Attackhttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2007/11/6/art-attack.htmlMike2007-11-06T22:01:52ZArt Attack at the Northrup King Building was a good time. I finally printed and displayed some photos. Had some video samples projected on a screen at the end of the hall on the 4th floor. Fans of mosaic art were drawn to watching Sharra meticulously build her creations. And I met and spoke with a diverse, creative bunch of individuals about using video for their businesses. Very inspiring.

]]>Wake Me Uphttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2007/10/15/wake-me-up.htmlMike2007-10-15T04:12:33ZSeptember has ended. The air is unfriendly with that boring, cold, cloudy, winter-coming-soon chill. Yuck. The happy, sunny blue-sky days of summer are just about gone 'til next year. Oh, bother...

Big crowds at the State Fair. Riders in that ski slope thing on a hot August day.

Admiring an exquisitely detailed art car after the parade in July.

Aliens in a hearse.

]]>Twins Ballpark Groundbreakinghttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2007/8/31/twins-ballpark-groundbreaking.htmlMike2007-08-31T21:21:56Z

Thursday afternoon was the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Twins Ballpark in Minneapolis. A cloudless, sunny, blue sky. Maybe 78 degrees. A beautiful day for a new stadium. Let's build two.

The Star Tribune had an interesting headline on the story today, "Ceremonial shoveling begins." In attendance were many big names... Hall of Famers Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew. Baseball Commissioner Bug Selig. Carl Pohlad and his sons, including movie producer Bill Pohlad. (Until I just IMDB'd him, I hadn't known he was a producer on "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus.") There was a baseball infield set up with sod and sand and bases. I got a hot dog for a dollar. But I didn't have enough for a Pepsi. So I washed it down with tears.

Here are a few photos:

A view from above.

Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight.

Runner on second.

]]>Boats, Bikes and Bumpshttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2007/8/30/boats-bikes-and-bumps.htmlMike2007-08-30T17:35:49ZYesterday at Lake Calhoun ...

Four people in a boat. Maybe tired of peddling.

Two rounding the bend.

Caution: Invisible bump.

]]>Gold Medal Flowerhttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2007/6/30/gold-medal-flower.htmlMike2007-06-30T23:01:51ZHere is some sunny happy-day inspiration from my bike ride yesterday. The flower was at Gold Medal Park. The Mustang was next door at the Guthrie.

]]>Four-year-old Francis Fordhttp://www.mindthemind.com/blog/2007/5/25/four-year-old-francis-ford.htmlMike2007-05-25T21:37:32ZThis week I saw a talk with Francis Ford Coppola at the Walker. First they showed the documentary, CODA: Thirty Years Later, about his works and inspirations.

Afterward he was interviewed and took questions. He was a refreshingly regular guy. I thought the same about Gehry when I saw the documentary, Sketches of Frank Gehry. He said he felt his best age was 50. Now at 68, he considers himself 50-18. He likes a person to see more in his films upon repeated viewings.

He left the studio system for 10 years. He spoke of dreading to go to the set of a studio film he was directing. After being out of the mainstream a while, he witnessed his daughter, Sophia, go to Tokyo and shoot Lost In Translation in 21 days. He said, "Well, if she can do it, I can do it. Heck, I'm the one who taught her how to do it." So he saved his money from studio films and financed his latest project himself.

A few pearls of wisdom and inspirations to me:

• Listen to the instinct of your 4-year-old self (not sure if that would work with me; may have to go further back)
• Experiment with cinematic language
• Or make a new visual language
• Make personal films (which he is doing now with "Youth Without Youth")

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