Minneapolis Michael

Reading the Sunday Times So You Don’t Have To (Even Though You Should): 3.20.11

Let’s see if I can remember how to read a bike. With the impending paywall, let’s also see if I was a year too early with this little thing.

THE FRONT PAGE

Allies Open Air Assault on Qaddafi’s Forces - Unless you were deep in an NCAA-induced coma yesterday, you know that Allied Forces began Operation ‘Odyssey Dawn’ in Libya in an attempt to stop Col. Khaddafy from using air power against his fellow countrymen. What you probably didn’t know is that Gaddafi wrote President Obama a letter before the military action began. It read, in part:

“I have said to you before that even if Libya and the United States enter into war, God forbid, you will always remain my son, and I have all the love for you as a son, and I do not want your image to change with me…”

Kaddafi is Barack’s father? Get Fox News on this!

Quinoa’s Global Success Creates Quandary at Home - Hey hipsters, mix in some brown rice once in awhile; you’re forcing Bolivians to eat cheaper, processed foods like normal Americans. Note for trivia nerds: Quinoa, often thought to be a grain, is actually a chenopod, related to spinach and beets.

SUNDAY BUSINESS

The Wristwatch is Reimagined. Will Young Shoppers Care? - In a word, no. Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst of the NPD Group, has it absolutely correct:

The MetaWatch, he said, “was the right idea — five years ago.”

Catherine Moellering, executive vice president at Tobe, a retail consulting firm, also nails it:

…Ms. Moellering sees young consumers paying less attention not only to watches, but also to the entire world of fashion. Fashion “is not as exciting as technology,” she said. “No store at the mall is as full as the Apple Store.”

I’ve got a different take: I don’t want more technology on my wrist, no matter how cool it is. I want a badass, classic Breitling.

WEEK IN REVIEW

Teaching to the Text Message - The most thought-provoking piece of the week. Instead of fighting culture, why not embrace it?

“…learning how to write concisely, to express one key detail succinctly and eloquently, is an incredibly useful skill, and more in tune with most students’ daily chatter, as well as the world’s conversation. The photo caption has never been more vital.”