US Army Lieutenant Peter Teachout, Who Helped Take Back The Hawthorne EcoVillage From Drug Crime And Urban Decay, Is Already "Boots On The Ground" In Afghanistan...

Facebook photo of Lieutenant Teachout graduating from OCS, blog post
by John Hoff

When this blog announced in early July that Lieutenant Peter Teachout was headed to Afghanistan, I figured there would be a "train up" period of a few months before Teachout was actually "boots on the ground" in that distant, troubled land. 

However, it turns out Teachout is already in Afghanistan and participants in one North Minneapolis Facebook forum are already putting together a care package the size of a small fridge...

What Has Become Of Good Sports Bar And Grill? "Temporary Bar Closing" And "See You Soon" Was Five Months Ago...

Photos, blog post by John Hoff

Good Sports Bar and Grill has been a place close to my batter-dipped, chicken-fried heart since it opened. I wrote in July of 2012 how my journey to Afghanistan began and ended at Good Sports Bar and Grill, with a basket of their amazing wings. Many a key community event, from Jim Wentzell Day to victory parties and strategy meetings has taken place at Good Sports, which long ago was the old Johnny A's. 

OK, so what happened? A sign on the door says the place closed April 14 of this year, which coincides with the account of a North Minneapolis citizen who posted something on...

Saint Anthony Comes Through For Me Once Again, Which Is Particularly Miraculous Since I'm A Protestant...

Internet image of St. Anthony, no copyright assumed, blog post by John Hoff


Click here for a previous acknowledgment of the miraculous helpfulness of St. Anthony. 

Rather than getting into my long and complex lifelong spiritual journey, I will just summarize a relevant portion: 

I am a Protestant, but in the tender years of my youth I was either exposed to Catholicism or, arguably, even raised "somewhat Catholic" while being raised "somewhat Lutheran" at the very same time. An epic battle took place over how I and my sister Mary would be raised. Protestantism won the war, but Catholicism settled in for a long, determined insurgency. 

So even though I am Protestant through and through, there are what might be called "Catholic bones in my body" which cause me, from time to time, to say a Hail Mary or seek the assistance of Saint Anthony in finding a lost object.

It was not the teachings of my youth, however, that brought Saint Anthony into my life but an adjunct college professor of strong Roman Catholic faith who I used to work for at the University of Minnesota...

Minnesota Investment Property Blog Goes Away, Leaving Only "Is This Your Domain Name?" Notice To Mark Its Passage...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

This is the third of three blog posts making historical note of the demise of blogs that once occupied my blog roll, for two previous posts click here and here. 

The Minnesota Investment Property Blog (www.minnesota investmentrealestate.com) has occupied a place on my blog roll since about 2010, but unlike other blogs I've highlighted it was NOT a site with a mission I supported even in the broadest sense. 

In fact, "MIPB" was promoting tours through my neighborhood to highlight...

Fare Thee Well, Irving Inquisition Blog, You Burned Too Brightly To Burn Very Long...

Creative stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

For the past two years, Irving Inquisition blog (www.theirving
inquisition.com) has occupied a sentimental place on my "blog roll," a sidebar feature where I try to highlight blogs I feel are important to our North Minneapolis neighborhood issues. 

But it's been a long time since any new material was added to The Irving Inquisition. In fact, it's been a while since ANYTHING was on that blog besides what I might dub "placeholder material," including a notice that "this domain name may be for sale." 

Sigh. For a while, Irving Inquisition burned brightly. It pulled no punches and asked for no quarter in return...

End Of An Era As Minneapolis Crime Watch Blog Goes Away, Leaving Foreign Language Spam In Its Wake...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

The Minneapolis Crime Watch blog (http://minneapoliscrime
watch.blogspot.com) was, once upon a time, one of the most popular blogs in North Minneapolis. Though ostensibly covering crime all over the city, for obvious reasons the blog tended to cover North Minneapolis A LOT. 

Some years ago the author of the blog moved on to other professional opportunities, but the Mpls Crime Watch blog itself remained--still being fed upon by search engines, still modestly useful in an archival sort of way--and so it remained on my blog roll. 

Today that changes. The crime watch blog has apparently been taken over by spammers speaking a foreign language...

AmeriCorps Inner City Tutors Program Gets Short End Of Wage And Benefits Stick, But It's The Children In North Minneapolis Who Pay The Ultimate Price...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

A recent article republished on Twin Cities Daily Planet, but originally published in Insight News, (click here for the article) highlights the fact our North Minneapolis schools need 150 tutors for math and literacy. 

In case that number didn't register, let me stomp my virtual foot and highlight it more. Our North Minneapolis schools need ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TUTORS to teach our children basic math and literacy...

Don Allen Of IBNN Confirms A Ceasefire In North Minneapolis "Blog Wars," Tenuous Internet Peace Appears To Be Holding Among The Two Major Players In Widespread, Complex Social Media Conflict That Spanned Years...

Image from IBNN blog, original images were from another media source, (left) and
Don Allen Facebook (right) and have both been used extensively under Fair Comment
and Criticism by various entities, blog post by John Hoff

A ceasefire in the vicious North Minneapolis "blog wars" has been called by the two major players, JNS blog and Don Allen of IBNN, as first announced here on JNS blog and now subsequently announced by Don Allen upon IBNN. With the ceasefire now publicized by both parties, it is becoming more and more of a reality. 

"Don and John" (or "John and Don?") have discussed the possibility of mediation or other direct and formal talks...

JNS Blog Acknowledges St. Anthony For Helping Me Recover My Lost Keys...

Image found on CatholicCulture.org, which hopefully doesn't mind me using it
and linking back to their website, (if they do I'll remove it) blog post by John Hoff

I acknowledge the miraculous helpfulness of St. Anthony, yesterday, in the finding of my lost keys. 

Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, look all around. Something is lost which must be found...

Plus I will add this saintly intervention is particularly miraculous due to the fact I am not Roman Catholic. 

JNS Blog Brings Back Open Thread "Free Speech Friday" Which Is Kind Of Strange, Because It's Saturday...

Creative stock photo, summer 2013 Dad and Alex road trip, blog post by John Hoff

Like Mike Myers used to say on the SNL skit "Coffee Talk," go ahead and...

Talk amongst yourselves. 

Here, I'll give you a topic...

JNS Blog And Don Allen Of IBNN Reach Tenuous "NOMI Blog War Cease Fire" Agreement And Try To Hammer Out Possible Long Term Truce...

Creative stock photo, (my duffel bag, it has been a few places) blog post by John Hoff

JNS blog breaks the self-imposed silence caused by a direct hit from a "First Amendment Chill Ray" to announce a metaphorical cease fire agreement has been reached with Don Allen of IBNN blog.

Click here for an article referencing what have been called the "NoMi Blog wars." The article is from February of 2011 but the vicious "Blog Wars" have been ongoing all this time, pulling in many participants, and have even moved into the new territory of North Minneapolis Facebook forums such as North Vent and North Talk. 

By email and text message initiated by IBNN blogger Don Allen earlier today, my former friend Don Allen is asking Johnny Northside for certain things and he is promising certain things in return. The conversation is...

Sadly North Minneapolis Has Become Accustomed To Violence And Crime. But When A Tiny Baby Was Shot In The Head, We Were All Left Speechless! Exclusive Update As Baby Isaac Early Turns One Year Old (GUEST BLOG POST BY JORDAN NORTH YES THE GIRL WONDER HAS SURVIVED THE FIRST AMENDMENT CHILL RAY! THIS PARENTHETICAL COMMENT IN THIS HEADLINE IS BY JOHNNY NORTHSIDE, STILL WITH SOME MINOR BLOGGING LIFE FUNCTIONS!!!!)

Blog post by Jordan North

Baby Isaac, at the ripe old age of one has had more tragedy and triumph than many of us have in a lifetime. He was shot and still has the bullet lodged in his head. He made a miraculous recovery that surprised doctors and specialists. At the very same time he was in a hospital struggling for his life, his big sister was in the hospital, doing the same.

Sadly a few months later, she...

FIRST AMENDMENT "CHILL RAY" STOPS JOHNNY NORTHSIDE BLOG IN ITS TRACKS!!! TROLLS AND EVIL DOERS SEEMINGLY RUN RAMPANT AND TRIUMPHANT! OH, NOOOOO, IS THIS THE END FOR JNS BLOG? AND WHAT OF BLOGGER JORDAN NORTH, THE GIRL WONDER? WHERE IS SHE? IS SHE STILL ALIVE? CAN ANYBODY SAVE FREE SPEECH IN THE BLOODY, TROUBLED STREETS OF NORTH MINNEAPOLIS? PAYPAL BUTTON, PAYPAL BUTTON, HELP HELP HELP...

Image found at this website, click here, go there to support what they're doing after
learning of it here, gee, hopefully they're cool about me using the picture if not I'll
find a different one, blog post by John Hoff

What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been 

For an unknown period of time, the many readers who depend on this blog or at least enjoy reading this blog won't see new stuff published unless a guest author seizes the helm of the U.S.S. Johnny Northside and writes something. 

Click here for an editorial that explains as well as I can explain. 

Now this is the part where I tediously mention the PayPal button to the right. I hate sounding like a televangelist. HATE IT. But like my mom says, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition."  

Since 2008 this blogger has lived like a... 

(TEMPORARY NON-CONTROVERSIAL BLOGGING RESTRICTION IN PLACE) A Reader Chimes In With An Idea About How Maybe Johnny Northside Could Blog Without Actually Writing Anything, JNS Blog Responds With A List Of Ways How "If It Bleeds..."

Photo, blog post by John Hoff, CENSORSHIP DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!!!! 

Click here for editorial explaining (to the degree I can explain it right now) why this blog is "chilled" in its free speech. Readers and supporters are directed to the PayPal button to the right to help me eventually achieve a thawing spell, or so I hope. 

In the meantime, I recommend my frustrated readers go to North Vent Facebook Forum for a pep-inducing addictive fix of North Minneapolis information and opinion. (For now, wait until THAT forum is chilled, too, and I can totally see the writing on the wall) 

But I am being careful over there at North Vent too, because I am CHILLED. Mostly I am just pressing the "like" button now and then. 

But recently my "$10 Johnny Northside donations fun rider" (who is getting this second ride for free, I guess, what a bargain!) gave me some feedback by email on this odd First Amendment situation, as follows...

(TEMPORARY NON-CONTROVERSIAL BLOGGING RESTRICTION IN PLACE) You Must Be At Least $10 High To Get On Board The Johnny Northside Donations Fun Ride...

Stock photo, child at a North Minneapolis Islamic learning center,
circa 2008, blog post by John Hoff

Click here for editorial discussing the current status of this blog. Readers are directed to the PayPal button on the right to help support a First Amendment defense of this blog. 

Yesterday I received a THIRD cash donation. And don't think I don't realize what's up, oh, yes I do...

(TEMPORARY NON-CONTROVERSIAL BLOGGING RESTRICTION IN PLACE) Donations To Defend First Amendment Rights Of JNS Blog Are Trickling In, Meanwhile Allow Me To Comment On A New Trend In Personalized License Plates...

Photo, blog post by John Hoff

This blog is under a self-imposed non-controversial blogging restriction due to being chilled in its First Amendment rights. Click here for editorial discussing the situation with my readers, to the degree I can discuss it. 

As of several minutes ago, I received a second cash donation of support. I do not know if I'll be able to publicly acknowledge each and every donation, but for now I'm trying. 

Pictured above, the pending end of Western Civilization as...

(TEMPORARY NON-CONTROVERSIAL BLOGGING RESTRICTION IN PLACE) Death Of The Warnke Willow, Part One Of I Don't Know How Many, Settle Back For An Exciting Urban Lumberjack Tale!!! OK, Actually, It's Not That Exciting And I Will Totally Understand If You Go Get Your News On North Vent Facebook Forum, Instead...

Photo, (circa June 21, 2013) blog post by John Hoff

This blog is under a temporary, self-imposed "non-controversial" blogging restriction. To support and defend this blog and hopefully one day get things back to normal, please use the PayPal button on the right side. Click here for editorial.

Now then.

While murder ravages my neighborhood, allow me to turn aside from all THAT and present the dramatic, possibly six part series on cleaning up a tree in my front yard...

(TEMPORARY NON-CONTROVERSIAL BLOGGING RESTRICTION IN PLACE) JNS Blog Gratefully Acknowledges Cash Donation Received To Defend Free Speech, You Know Who You Are...

Source of photo unknown, but floating around the internet, no assertion of
copyright assumed; meme lettering added by John Hoff, blog post by John Hoff

Tonight, in response to a request for donations to support the free speech of this blog in the midst of an Arctic cold spell of "chilled" First Amendment rights, I have quickly received a cash donation... 

(TEMPORARY NON-CONTROVERSIAL BLOGGING RESTRICTION IN PLACE) JNS Blog Publishes Mainstream Media Link To Last Night's Triple Shooting, Publishes No Other Information Though In Possession Of Some Info...

Stock photo, inoffensive general image, blog post by John Hoff

Readers, please note the PayPal button to the right. I am soliciting donations for a First Amendment defense of this blog. See previous editorial on this topic. 

So last night there was a triple shooting in my neighborhood. Click here for a link to a mainstream media report. This is the kind of thing I normally report on, discovering and disseminating new pieces of information about a matter of public concern. 

But this blogger is adding no further information to the news report about the triple shooting even though, yes, I have some info and I would normally publish that info... 

(TEMPORARY NON-CONTROVERSIAL BLOGGING RESTRICTION IN PLACE) Joshua "Josh" Taft Sings The Song That Got Him Banned From Downtown Savannah, Georgia, "The Bullet" By The Devil Makes Three...

YouTube embed and blog post by John Hoff

This blogger is soliciting funding via PayPal for defense of the First Amendment rights of this blog. See PayPal button to the right. All blog posts published "for the duration" of my "temporary non-controversial blogging restriction" will have this solicitation for funds but I can't offer readers more explanation at present. 

I'm not blogging about North Minneapolis right now. Readers who have been with me since 2008 can see how serious that is. 

Now then, when I wrote yesterday about how I wouldn't write anything controversial for a while clearly I meant nothing controversial about North Minneapolis and my usual blogging subjects. So (as Monty Python used to say) NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!!!!!!

In the video above you can see...

JNS BLOG FIRST AMENDMENT FORK IN THE ROAD EDITORIAL: Welcome To The New And Temporarily NON-CONTROVERSIAL Adventures of Johnny Northside! It Is The Long Hot Summer Of 2014 In "Murderapolis" But This Blog Is Chilled, Chilled Like A Chili Dog...

It is an unspeaking stone face. Note how he does not speak. Note how the flowers are closed and not in bloom except one flower, which is past blooming. Let us contemplate this image. 

I've Been Searching My Soul 

I never watched or followed the television series "Ally McBeal," which (so I hear) was about a young lawyer trying to find her way in the world. Yet the show had an impact on my life, sort of. 

Somehow I came into possession of a CD with the movie soundtrack, and I liked it so much I would play it over and over until I about wore it out. The songs, all the songs, became a part of me. And I especially liked the Ally McBeal theme song by Vonda Shepard, which was so pretty it still gives me the shivers...

After Robbery Attempt And Near-Shooting Of Armed Suspect, Handy Stop On West Broadway Patches Bullet Hole With A "No Trespassing" Sign...

No trespassing. And they really MEAN it.

Following a robbery attempt last week at the Handy Stop convenience store located at 2600 West Broadway (click here for mainstream media article) store owners were left with a hole in a window where a bullet fired in apparent self-defense went zinging by the robber...

FOLLOW THE MONEY! Funding For Activist Al Flowers "Community Standards Initative" (Sic) Came From Pandering State Government And Was Passed Through Minneapolis Public Schools! The School Board HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER...

Al Flowers, on left, ejected from turbulent JACC press conference, 
blog post by John Hoff

Click here to view a link to SF 1214, a state appropriations bill and  enjoy the Watergate-esque drama as we "follow the money." 

In the wake this blog commenting and trying to add, further, to an article on MinnPost hot pieces of information keep surfacing about large amounts of funding funneled to so-called initatives (sic) involving "activist" Al Flowers. 

Flowers is loud, scary and known to suddenly get physical at turbulent community meetings.  But Flowers has managed to insulate himself from the legal consequences of his actions over the years. He does this by masterfully manipulating and stirring up red hot racial politics. 

Oh, and by the strategic filing of lawsuits. 

Now Flowers says he was "beaten" by police and we urban Minnesota liberals are all expected to kowtow with political correctness and respond a certain way...