Being the amazing, true-to-life adventures and (very likely) misadventures of a writer who seeks to take his education, activism and seemingly boundless energy to North Minneapolis, (NoMi) to help with a process of turning a rapidly revitalizing neighborhood into something approaching Urban Utopia. I am here to be near my child. From 02/08 to 06/15 this blog pushed free speech to the envelope, so others could take heart and speak unafraid. Email me at hoffjohnw@gmail.com
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Saturday, July 3, 2010
Video Footage of the Elite Shoe Patrol Unit!
Post and video by the Hawthorne Hawkman
After Peter Teachout's send-off party, we celebrated further by going on one final shoe patrol run. For some odd reason, this particular video (the only one taken by yours truly, I might add) was the only one with sound. But it does a pretty good job of demonstrating the difficulties inherent in shoe removal.
Unfortunately, in this video clip, Peter didn't even get the shoes down. What happened was...
...They were tangled up so much that for a while we weren't sure HOW they'd come down. This pair was right in front of a Pamiko house and 619 26th Ave N, a now vacant, but notorious problem property. We were so determined to keep the block clean that I walked home to grab a knife and some tape to affix to the end of one of the boards and cut the shoelaces.
It turns out the only tape I could find was scotch tape I use to seal my comic book covers. Yes, I am a geek. So it was probably a good thing that Peter Teachout is so skilled with the chopstick-and-stilt dexterity needed to remove shoes, and these were down by the time I got back. I did have a respectable knife, though.
After a few other shoes were removed, I departed and missed the most interesting episode of the night due to a pre-existing appointment to do some LED night hula hooping. (Video footage of THAT exists and can be found, but I'm going to get better at filming night hooping before putting direct links here or elsewhere.)
We'll miss you, Peter, but we'll find some way to continue the Elite Shoe Patrol!
To bad we didn't have the audio working on the part where the cop came up and said, well, I'm not going to tell you to do that...but I'm not going to tell you NOT to do that, either.
ReplyDeleteSomebody submitted this comment, but it was lost through a technical glitch:
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That looks dangerous. I hope that guy is more cautious when he gets sent off to war in Iraq or Afghanistan.
If he isn't, he'll just be another dead body sacrificed on the alter of imperialism.
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To which I respond: it's not dangerous. Wood does not conduct electricity. Don't be stupid.
Oh, I think I'll continue with that thought...
ReplyDeleteYeah, right, that's what we send our soldiers overseas to do: be really careful and prudent and keep their head down. Maybe you might want to send some OSHA folks over the Afghanistan to make sure the troops follow OSHA guidelines while mixing it up with the Taliban?
Peter is not only brave, he's extremely smart. In fact, he took on a problem nobody--especially Xcel--seemed to give a damn about solving: thug shoes on the power lines of North Minneapolis. I have confidence not only in his bravery, but his smarts and common sense.
Anybody who signs up to fight a land war in Asia isn't that smart.
ReplyDeleteBrave, perhaps, but definitely not smart.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThank you mr. Inconceivable. You obviously have been brushing up on your "Princess Bride" quotations.
ReplyDeleteSometimes you have to look past the war in asia and try to grasp the bigger picture.
Some people see a problem and sit on the sidelines and fuss about it.
Other people identify a problem and try to choose the best course of action to change it.
We may not agree with all our country does but if we do not get involved to impact positve change, than we have no right to speak.
Drum,
ReplyDeleteSo your point is that in order to criticize a war of aggression in Asia one must first join the army?
What?
Please clarify.
There are many ways to get involved. There is no one way to build a difference in the lives of people around you. I love my country. Do I agree with everything that it does? No.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in Minneapolis for the past 8 years. I have grown to love this city. Does that mean that I agree with everything that this city does? No. Definately not.
But this one thing is true: cities and countries longevity have been directly proportionate to their ability to adhere to moral law. You may forget but the constitution and the bill of rights were patterened after the Code of Hammurabi of Babylon and the Ten Commandments among other documents. There was a reason for that. The founders saw the value and truth in these documents. Edmund Burke and Alexis de Tocqueville also saw the connection between success and following moral law.
Again my point is: I have chosen to do what I can to help this country return back to the principles which have served to make this nation great. The closer I get to the people that make the decisions, the better chance I have of doing that. The farther I go away from the problem. The less chance I will have to impact change.
It worked in minneapolis. Let's try it on a larger scale.
Thanks for asking. I am always happy to share what makes me tick. Please tell me, what are you doing to affect positive change in those around you?