Blur Magazine

blur
THE ART OF UNDEFINING

Dig in to some of
the best multicultural
meals in Minneapolis.
Mmm...
Soccer helps Karen
refugees fnd a new
home on a familiar feld.
The
Universal
Language
Franken-animals
Partners in Politics
Black vs. African American
FALL 2010
Letter from the Editors
Editors
Mandi Castillo Roberts
Lauren Scheller
Managing editors
Jessica Tam
Chelsey Larson
Art director
Alicia Werdel
Senior editors
Agnes Rzepecki
Kevin Coss
Nicholas Lawrence
Laura Sievert
Staff writer
Yuridia Ramrez
Associate editors
Samantha Machart
Brian Johnson
Alyson Cummings
A.J. MacDonald
Assistant art directors
Sam Offerdahl
Benjamin Ong
Ken Nelson
Staff photographers
Marlie Barry
Matt Carlson
Web editor
Will Wlizlo
Web programmer
Dustin Cahill
Web art director
Kristin Lueck
Web associate editor
Alex Hall
Bloggers
Larry Gandy
Rebecca Ernst
Circulation/Marketing manager
Marial Weidner
We are opposites.
One of us has blonde hair, blue eyes and has lived in the Midwest her entire life.
The other has brown hair, brown eyes and has lived on three different continents.
The frst is indistinguishable from the locals of the small, predominantly German,
Wisconsin town her family moved to when she was in second grade. The second
is the frst of her family to be born in the United States and has always stood out
as exotic no matter where she lives.
Both of us have experienced the feeling of being an outsider. Lauren never
managed to shake that new kid feeling, partly because her peers referred to
her as the girl from St. Louis until she graduated from high school. Mandi has
learned not to take offense when people call her white. She is extremely proud
that shes Danish, Japanese and Latin.
Working on this magazine has helped our entire staff realize that we all have
had that feeling of not belonging. Whether its because of our sexuality, life
experience or taste in music, each and every one of us has unique characteristics
that separate us from our peers. Thats why Blur educates, celebrates and
accepts how these differences overlap and make us who we are.
The United States is no longer simply multicultural; instead, we have
successfully transitioned into a multi culture. New technologies make it both
harder and easier to fnd ones place in the world.
Today, language barriers, or any other barriers for that matter, can be
overcome. We can all take a lesson from the Karen soccer team (page 18).
Nobody is silenced in todays world. The Deaf community (page 4), like many
minority groups, is speaking up and merging into everyday society. From
technology to wrestling to glow-in-the-dark animals, Blur is not about putting
people or ideas in a box, or giving new names to old categories. Instead its a
celebration of the art of undefning.
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LAUREN SCHELLER MANDI CASTILLO ROBERTS
We would like to thank the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota,
Elizabeth Larsen, Jeanne Schacht, Scott Dierks, Wally Swanson and Al Tims. This publication is made
possible by the Milton L. Kaplan Memorial Fund.
THANKS
1 BLUR | fall 2010 blur-mag.com
Editors
Mandi Castillo Roberts
Lauren Scheller
Managing editors
Jessica Tam
Chelsey Larson
Art director
Alicia Werdel
Senior editors
Agnes Rzepecki
Kevin Coss
Nicholas Lawrence
Laura Sievert
Staff writer
Yuridia Ramrez
Associate editors
Samantha Machart
Brian Johnson
Alyson Cummings
A.J. MacDonald
Assistant art directors
Sam Offerdahl
Benjamin Ong
Ken Nelson
Staff photographers
Marlie Barry
Matt Carlson
Web editor
Will Wlizlo
Web programmer
Dustin Cahill
Web art director
Kristin Lueck
Web associate editor
Alex Hall
Bloggers
Larry Gandy
Rebecca Ernst
Circulation/Marketing manager
Marial Weidner
FEATURES
SPIDERBABY
Wrestling, writing and entertaining are only three strands in Terrance Grieps web ...... 10
TURNING JAPANESE
Japanese aesthetics sculpt American pop culture ..................................................... 14
SOCCER: DO YOU SPEAK IT?
Karen refugees fnd a new home on a familiar feld ..................................................... 18
MMM
Four great places to fnd multicultural meals in Minneapolis ....................................... 22
DOING MORE, THINKING LESS
Is multitasking lowering our IQs?................................................................................ 28
LIFE
KrishnadelicPrince Rama blend Vaishnava Hinduism with experimental rock ............ 2
Mix and MashMatch the songs to the tracks they sample ........................................ 2
Learning through LyricsMcNally Smiths new program
brings hip-hop to the classroom .................................................................................. 3
UnheardWhen it comes to Deaf culture, theres more than meets the ear ................. 4
Eti-questions Prof. Politeness helps you mind your Ps and Qs ................................. 5
POLITICS
Breakin it DownThe U.S. Census Bureau projects the countrys demographics ....... 6
Finding the Bulls-EyeTargeting an audience is becoming more precise .................... 6
Seeking Common GroundIs it time to focus on political parties similarities? ............. 8
TECH
Beyond the BlueprintComputer-aided design pushes the limits of architecture ....... 30
Going HybridDesigner dogs are the new top models.............................................. 32
Freaks of NatureMove over, Superman. Here are the new super animals ................ 32
NINE TO FIVE
One-Man BandEmployers just cant get no satisfaction with their ideal new hires ... 33
From ScratchImmigrant restaurant owners build a tamale empire........................... 34
Inquire OnlineInternet classifeds reroute the job search .......................................... 36
VOICE
I am [Enter Race Here]Checking a box has never been so complicated ................. 37
Paint and PrejudiceIs graffti art or vandalism? ........................................................ 38
Blurs Wish ListFour needs you didnt have, satisfed by consumerism ................... 40
38
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BLUR | fall 2010 2 blur-mag.com
life
BLUR: What was your
upbringing like, being
raised in a Hare Krishna
community?
Taraka Larson: As soon as
we [Larson and her sister] got
to high school, we moved out
to Alachua, Fla., which is like
the U.S.s largest Hare Krishna
community. Our parents
would take us to services a
lot. But its not too different
from people going to church,
except that everyone has
these funny, unpronounceable
names and wears saris.
B: Could you describe what
a Hare Krishna service is
like?
TL: The services themselves
are mostly comprised of
singing and chanting. The
terminology for it is kirtan,
which means call-and-
response hymns. Its defnitely
a super-participatory thing.
Therell be 13 people playing
drums as loud as they can or
playing harmonium. People are
up dancingits a total loss
of self.
Krishnadelic
Prince Rama blends Vaishnava
Hinduism with experimental rock.
Mix
B: Do you try to recreate
spiritual experiences of a
Krishna service when youre
playing a show with Prince
Rama?
TL: I feel like without
intentionally doing it, it kind of
has evolved to be that way. We
make handmade percussion
instruments, like little jingle-
jangles, bells stuck on toy
dinosaurs or beer cans flled
with rice, and we hand them
out to the audience.
B: What about the chanting
and mantras of Prince
Rama work so well with the
psychedelic, experimental
rock that you play?
TL: I think the psychedelic
experience is supposed to
get you out of yourself, to get
you to see and be aware of
other dimensions folded into
this reality. And the mantras
themselvestheres not much
in the words that you can
grasp onto in this reality. If you
focus on it, it doesnt give you
much knowledge about your
external reality. Yet, it sort of
creates this semantic porthole
into mystery, into some sort of
other mysterious realm.
WILL WLIZLO
Bedecked with jewels and playing otherworldly psychedelia,
Prince Rama is the last band you would expect to have grown
up immersed in the Hare Krishna community. But thats not
stopping them from taking the experimental music scene by
stormPrince Rama released its latest album, Shadow Temple,
on Animal Collectives imprint Paw Tracks in September 2010.
Blur interviewed Prince Ramas leading lady Taraka Larson.
1
Play Your Part
Track one from self-
described pop music
enthusiast Girl Talks chart-
topping 2008 release, Feed
The Animals. Waxy.orgs
Andy Baio estimates that
Gregg Gillis, the DJ behind
Girl Talk, sampled 322 songs
on the 14-track album.
2
Im An Adler Girl
Los Angeles Super Mash
Bros. took their party from
the basement to the masses
with their 2009 release of F---
Bitches. Get Euros, which
this track is on. Made up of
Dick Fink, Nick Fenmore and
Ethan Dawes, SMB have
called themselves Girl Talks
hot cousin.
3
Dirtbag Baby
The best part about this
track, off E-603s Torn Up, is
that its free. Ethan Ward has
made both his albums, the
frst is aptly titled Something
for Everyone, available for free
download from his website
and MySpace page. Ward
also offers a Pay What You
Want option.
a n d

Mash
From lef to right: Nimai Larson, Michael Collins, Taraka Larson.
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life
Learning through Lyrics
McNally Smiths new program brings
hip-hop to the classroom.
When on stage, mic in hand,
Toki Wright wants the crowd
not only to hear his words,
but his honesty. He expects
the same at his day job,
where instead of a mic he
uses a dry-erase marker.
Wright, a Twin Cities
hip-hop artist, shares his
knowledge and passion for
the genre at McNally Smith
College of Music in St.
Paul, Minn. He serves as a
student advisor, teacher and
program coordinator for the
Hip-Hop Studies Diploma
Program, the frst accredited
program of its kind in the
nation.
Wrights wisdom
encompasses all aspects of
hip-hop: the business, the
performance and the musics
capacity as a cross-cultural
platform. Hip-hop doesnt
have a specifc race, color
or gender, Wright says. If
youre good, you can be
respected.
The Twin Cities area
proves just that with its
diverse hip-hop scene. It is
home to the independent
record label Rhymesayers,
which distributes independent
acts such as the albino,
Muslim rapper Brother Ali,
the commercially successful
group Atmosphere and the
comic book-inspired MF
Doom. Wright himself often
opens for Brother Ali and
belongs to three other hip-
hop groups: The C.O.R.E.,
Aphrill and The Chosen Few.
certain rhythm, Wright says.
The conversation can exist
even when you dont have a
language to speak.
The program at McNally
Smith allows students who
might not have gone to a
traditional collegewhether
because of grades or a lack
of interestto continue their
education in an area they
fnd compelling.
Wright doesnt think of
his job as teaching, but as
providing students with the
tools to appreciate hip-
hops cultural impact. So
much can be learned from
hip-hop, he says. It gives
students insight into why
they dress the way they
dress and speak the way
they speak. Wright says
hip-hop can teach students
more than he ever could.
SAMANTHA MACHART
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Mash
Match the
songs to the
tracks they
sample.
Hip-hop doesnt require a
specifc performer or listener,
because it revolves around
honest refections of daily
life. Hip-hop is relevant and
recognizable all over the planet,
Wright says.
Through the music, the genres
artists can cross boundaries and
start conversations. Whether
you go to Uganda, Italy or the
Czech Republic, you hear a
Limp Bizkit
Nookie
Mariah Carey
Always Be My Baby
a-ha
Take on Me
American Hi-Fi
Flavor of the Weak
Tears for Fears
Shout
Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
Still D.R.E.
Avril Lavigne
Girlfriend
Disturbed
Down With The
Sickness
Roy Orbison
Oh, Pretty Woman
Unk
Walk it Out
Rage Against the Machine
Freedom
Lil Mama
G-Slide
The act of taking
a portion of a single
recording, the sample,
and repurposing it
for use in another
recording.
ALYSON CUMMINGS

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life
Less than one
percent of all people
in the United States
are functionally
deaf, according to
research done at
Gallaudet University.
So its not surprising
most Americans
dont think of
Deaf individuals
as bilingual and
bicultural citizens
who participate
in both the
hearing and Deaf
communities.
Instead, Deaf
people are mostly
thought of as
disabled.

When it comes to Deaf
culture, theres more
than meets the ear.
[The hearing community
doesnt] always think the Deaf
have their own culture, but
they do, says Shirley Egbert,
assistant education specialist
at the University of Minnesota.
With a whole different set of
social norms in etiquette and
language use, Deaf individuals
are challenged to develop an
identity as fuent participators
in two separate cultural realms.
The jokes, the literature, theres
a whole gamut of things that
are different, says Egbert.
Deaf people know how to
interact with hearing people, but
hearing people dont know how
to interact with Deaf people.
The movement to raise
awareness of the Deaf
community as a unique culture,
independent from but existing
in the hearing community,
remains the true challenge.
More awareness is needed,
says Egbert. That there is
a Deaf culture, the use of
sign languagenone of that
information is presented.
The lack of
acknowledgement for Deaf
individuals creates obstacles on
U N H E A R D
a daily basis for members
of the Deaf culture. Things
arent as accessible,
Egbert says, referencing
the increased accessibility
for minority populations.
For example, audio
messages in airports are
commonly broadcast
in multiple languages,
but remain completely
inaccessible for any non-
hearing individuals.
Though the Deaf
community serves as an
important minority group in
the United States, the national
census has never identifed
it as such. The United States
may be a diverse nation, but
our history shows were not
always inclusive of different
cultures. Is our attitude toward
Deaf culture any different?
A.J. MACDONALD
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Q
A
ETI-
QUESTIONS
Our world is shrinking. Globalization and technology are allowing cultures and ideas to
meet and intermingle like never before. Were in uncharted water, people! Naturally, you
might have a few questions. So, whether you have a cultural conundrum or
need advice about new media manners, Im here to help with all
your real world etiquette uncertainties. LAUREN SCHELLER
Dear Prof. Politeness,
I was recently having a professional conversation
with a man at the place where I volunteer. When
the conversation was over, I extended my hand
for a shake and he kindly declined, saying that
he does not shake hands with women. I shook it
off and we said our goodbyes, but I am curious
to hear your input on what I should have said or
done. Is there any way to identify these customs
before a no-no happens?
Thanks,
Awkward Handshaker
Awkward Handshaker,
Ah, yes. To shake or not to
shake? The answer is more
complex than one might
think. Its possible the man
was just shy or sexist or a
germaphobe. But most likely
his actions were because of
cultural or religious beliefs.
Perhaps you remember
the will he or wont he shake
hoopla surrounding Somali
President Sharif Ahmed when
Hillary Clinton visited Somalia
last year? Some members of
Islam consider handshaking
between genders taboo.
Ahmed, himself a
Muslim and president of a
predominantly Muslim country,
risked offending many Somalis
by shaking Clintons hand. As
one Somali man was quoted
by the Washington Post,
For many people, whether
hes loyal to Islam or not
depends on the handshake.
Islam isnt the only religion
that restricts opposite gender
handshakes; Orthodox Jews
that practice shomer negiah,
which translates as observant
of touch, often wont shake
hands with the opposite sex.
As for your question, if there
is any way to identify these
customs, the answer is no.
Just as many Somalis wanted
Ahmed to shake Clintons
hand as those who didnt.
Considering the situation,
you did nothing wrong by
extending your hand for a
shake. You were being polite.
You were also being polite by
not making a scene when the
man declined. Can you imagine
explaining yourself every
time you shook someones
hand? It would be exhausting
and possibly uncomfortable
depending on the setting.
Sarah Routman, the
executive director of Hillel
Jewish Student Center at
the University of Minnesota,
offers some helpful advice: If
you are unsure of someones
customs, wait for them to
extend a hand for a shake.
If the situation requires
you to make the frst move,
be gracious if you get
denied. A Muslim or Jewish
mans decision to not shake
a womans hand, or vice
versa, is no different than
a Roman Catholic refusing
to eat red meat on Friday
its spiritual, not sexist.
Shake on,
Prof. P.
politics
500,000 38 M 18 M 8 M 28 M 1 M 4 M
Population of the United States by State
I mark African American if I can
only choose one, because when Im out
and about I dont feel people see me as
white. Tey see me as a minority.
Aaron Smith, 28, Minneapolis
Finding the Bulls-Eye
Targeting an audience with a political ad is
becoming a more precise art.
When an election nears, ad campaigns make or break
a politician. But are successful advertisements getting
harder to produce? Scott Perreault, CEO and founder
of a Minneapolis-based political advertising company,
ScottPolitical.com, has more than 20 years of experience
in audience targeting. He shares his insight on how he
uses market research to guide politicians in pointing
their ads toward voters most likely to tip the scale.
BLUR: How has the practice of targeting your audience changed?
Scott Perreault: Its not just a little bit of knowledge;
its massive. Theres no guesswork anymore.
The last week before an election, when people are inundated
with commercials on CNN or NBC, they literally turn their channels
off to get away. We track them down. We fnd them on The Golf
Channel. Theyre more likely to be receptive [to the ads that we make]
because theres just one of our ads versus a hundred in a row.
Caucasian
Other
African American
Asian
Mixed
Indian/Alaskan
Native Hawaiian/Pacifc Islander
Population by Race
74.3%
12.3%
5.8%
4.4%
2.2%
.8%
.15%
BY ALICIA WERDEL
BREAKIN IT DOWN
The U.S. Census Bureau projects the countrys demographics.
politics
I do like to put Hispanic/Latino, because people have pre-judgements about them and if they
see me it confuses them. But there are times I wont put anything because I dont want people to
judge me based on that. I dont think it should matter at all.
Amy Jo Rohrer, 27, Mound, Minn.
English
Spanish
Chinese
French
Pacifc Islander
Top 5 Languages Spoken at Home
B: How important is it for a candidate to fgure
out how to reach their target audience?
SP: A couple years ago we worked with Ralph Nader. [He
was] busy ... constantly on the move. But he found time once
a week to be involved in all the production meetings. It was
that important. Usually, candidates are involved. They have a
vision, and our job is to put it into a format with pictures, and
words, and music and high-tech fonts and all that stuff.
B: Which aspects of an advertisement do you change
to make it appeal to certain groups of people?
SP: Its pretty obviousmaybe Ive been doing this too
long[what] youre targeting in the 2010 election: the
female, independent, moderate vote. There are two or three
issues the female moderate will be more willing to listen
tocertainly more visuals can be used and can include
children. If you see a specifc type of coreiron workers,
steel workers or business peopleyou can tell by the colors.
All those kinds of things that allow you to reach that person
without screaming, Hey, are you this person? Vote for us!
KEVIN COSS
English Only
English and Spanish
English and Indo-European
English and Asian/Pacifc Islander
English and Other
Multilingual Americans
Cuban
South American
Of Spanish Descent
Central American
Puerto Rican
Dominican
Mexican
Hispanic Population
69.1%
14.1%
12.3%
10.3%
8.7%
5.4%
4.3%
politics
Seeking Common Ground
Lets face it: The political climate
in the United States is growing
more hostile every day. Anybody
who witnessed last years town
hall meetings on the federal
health care bill can attest to it.
For a myriad of reasons,
including a slower-than-
expected economic recovery,
hyper-partisanship is the norm
in American politics, and there
seems to be less and less room
for moderates and those who
advocate compromise.
In this environment of divisive
politics, its diffcult to see
anything but the differences
that exist between political
ideologies.
But what is rarely
acknowledged is the common
ground that these groups often
share. Whether its philosophy,
policy or just common goals
for the country to achieve,
politicians from different parties
can, on occasion, agree with
each other. Yes, Republicans
can agree with Green Party
members. Even Libertarians
agree with Socialists on some
issues, believe it or not.
ALEX HALL
Is it time to focus on political
parties similarities?
Key to Political
Ideologies
Republicans
Democrats
Socialists
politics
REPUBLICANS ONLY:
For: right-to-life policies; private school vouchers; the death penalty.
DEMOCRATS ONLY:
For: a government-funded health care option; government intervention in
the economy (imposing regulations on fnancial companies, government
spending to stimulate the economy); the graduated income tax.
LIBERTARIANS ONLY:
For: elimination of the public school system; elimination of the Federal
Reserve; elimination of the income tax; abolition of the minimum wage.
SOCIALISTS ONLY:
For: worker and community ownership of corporations;
public-only fnancing of elections; a cap on executive
compensation; the repeal of North American Free Trade
Agreements (NAFTA) and other free trade agreements.
GREEN PARTY ONLY:
For: eventually eliminating the use of fossil fuels.
REPUBLICANS AND LIBERTARIANS:
For: a laissez-faire economy; small government;
privatizing social security; a fat income tax; privately
run heath care; gun rights; reduction of taxes.
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS:
For: the war on terror; prohibiting illicit drugs;
a strong military presence overseas.
LIBERTARIANS AND SOCIALISTS:
For: legalizing illicit drugs.
GREEN PARTY AND SOCIALISTS:
For: universal health care; prohibiting offshore oil drilling; holding
corporations who pollute responsible; prohibiting new nuclear
and coal power plants; a steeply graduated income tax.
DEMOCRATS, GREEN PARTY AND SOCIALISTS:
For: the creation of green jobs; legislation regulating
greenhouse gas emissions; social programs (such as
welfare, food stamps and publicly-funded social security);
federally-funded stem cell research; labor unions.
DEMOCRATS, LIBERTARIANS, GREEN
PARTY AND SOCIALISTS:
For: GLBT rights; womens reproductive rights policies;
complete separation of church and state.
ALL FIVE:
For: energy independence; freedom of speech; freedom of religion.
Green Party
Libertarians
A
SPIDER BABY
Wrestling, writing
and entertaining
are only three
strands in Terrance
Grieps web.
n excruciating
wrestling hold called the seated
abdominal stretch. A Minneapolis
TV show that addresses whatever
is on the hosts mind. A Scooby-
Doo comic book featuring a
mythical Rainbow Serpent. What,
you may ask, is the thread that
ties all of these together? In some
shape or form, each is the creation
of Terrance Griep, also known as
Tommy The SpiderBaby Saturday.
Griep, of Minneapolis, may be best known for his wrestling
character SpiderBaby, who woos his devoted fans by respectfully
calling them fruit fies. Like his creator, SpiderBaby is unique in the
Twin Cities wrestling community and beyond because hes openly
gay. But Grieps wrestling alter ego is defnitely not a gimmick. Hes
earned the title of Midwest Champion with his home federation,
Northern Lights Wrestling. In 2009, SpiderBaby was named Best
Professional Wrestler by Minneapoliss City Pages.
Griep started wrestling in 2003. He came out to the wrestling
world before his frst match. Coming out on the independent scene
is not nearly as big a deal as coming out as an NFL player, whether
retired or active, says Griep. After the match, Griep received a
standing ovation from other wrestlers in the locker room.
BY BRIAN JOHNSON
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SPIDER BABY
SpiderBaby is exactly
who I would be.
A wrestling match is a story
its an extremely physical
storybut its a story. It has a
beginning, middle and an end.
The writing, more than a
job, it is a lifestyle. It just
consumes everything.
Writing structure will
bleed into all sorts of
things, but especially
wrestling matches.
[When writing on
deadline], the rest
of my life kind of
has to take a
backseat.
Theres a lot about him I
admire, because he lives
in the moment, which Ive
never been able to do.
I always rooted
for the villains, to
the extent where
my mom wanted
to bring me to the
psychiatrist.
Coming out on the independent scene is not nearly as big a deal as coming out as an
NFL player, whether retired or active, says Griep.
Since then, he has found a way to successfully relate to his
fans. The fruit fies have stuck around. I dont forget that they are
there. Im always interacting with the fans, Griep says.
Whether hes playing a good guy, bad guy or just plain
cheaterwhich he often isGrieps can send a message. Hes
just really smart about telling a story with his body, says Bill
Borea, a retired semi-professional wrestler and Grieps co-host
on MTN Spectator, a Minneapolis variety TV show. Hes a
storyteller.
Grieps talent for storytelling extends beyond the ropes. A
comic book writer since 1993, hes written for the DC Comic
Scooby-Doo and is currently developing a SpiderBaby comic. I
keep working toward the day where I will be less all-consumed
but that seems far away, Griep says of his constant writing.
This fall marks Grieps seventh anniversary as a wrestler.
When asked about retirement, Griep admits he fnds it hard to
take seriously until he fnds something that he loves as much
as wrestling. Interacting with a huge live crowd. And living in a
world where I can beat people up legally. And good and evil are
clearly, easily delineated. I just dont know what would replace all
that, Griep says.
He isnt sure when it will be, but when he eventually walks
away, it wont be easy. There will be a hole there, Griep says as
he ponders his future. What do I replace that with? Who will that
version of this Griep guy be? More than likely, he will spin up an
entirely new web.
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GLBT... Is that a sandwich?
A crash course in gender identity terminology.
Do you know how to respectfully refer to someone who
has had a sex change operation? What about a man who
wears womens clothing? Te Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation (GLAAD) website provides information
specifying commonly misused and misunderstood
GLBT terms. Here are a few that are good to know:
TRANSGENDER Is a term for people whose gender identity
and/or gender expression difers from the sex they were
assigned at birth. Tis term is meant to be used as an
adjective, not a noun. Right: a transgender person. Wrong:
a transgender. Transgender can include transsexuals,
cross-dressers and other gender-variant people.
Some transgender people alter their bodies hormonally and/
or surgically, while others choose not to. Tus, transgender is
ofen referred to as an umbrella term in the GLBT community.
TRANSSEXUAL Refers to people who have changed their gender
by undergoing surgical procedures. While some prefer the term
transsexual, others want to be identifed as a transgender person.
TRANSVESTITE Is an ofensive term in the GLBT community;
cross-dresser is the preferred alternative. Tis term pertains
to people who are comfortable with their sex and dont
desire to change it. Cross-dressers are not individuals
who have taken on a full-time life as the opposite sex.
LAURA SIEVERT
But whether hes a good guy, bad guy or just plain cheater, Griep can tell a story.
Grieps fruit fies cheer on
SpiderBaby as he single-
handedly fghts an uphill battle
against Scott The Brauler
Brault (in pink) and his partner,
Patrick Seven Feet of Sexy
Lomax (in black).
Dont lie. You collected the cards. You
watched the show. You chose Pokmon
and Pokmon chose you. But its no
coincidence that cute little Pikachu made
its way into your heart.
Since the term Japonism was frst
used in the late 1800s to describe the
infuence of Japanese art on Western art,
the impact of the Japanese aesthetic on
American pop culture cant be overstated.
From cartoons to comics to flm to
architecture, Americans increasingly see
the world through a Japanese lens.
TURNING
JAPANESE
Japanese aesthetics
sculpt American pop
culture.
BY BENJAMIN ONG
Samurai Jack
Drawn together Anime and mangaJapanese
cartoons and comic books, respectivelyhave
infuenced American television shows such as
Samurai Jack, The Ren and Stimpy Show and
The Powerpuff Girls. A cartoon about a time-
displaced warrior, Samurai Jack uses fushed-out
colors, much like traditional Japanese paintings.
The Powerpuff Girls, a show about three action
heroes, uses a color combination of pink, blue
and green. Each specifc color is associated with a
member of the superhero team. Whats more, the
cartoons giant robot and Godzilla-like monsters
are as gimmicky as traditional anime villains.
Illustrated evil Anime villains are scary because
they unexpectedly transform in front of your eyes,
says Frenchy Lunning, Ph.D., a professor of liberal
arts at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
In Perfect Blue, an anime flm focusing on a pop idol and her
stalker, the audience frst gets to know the singers manager
as a positive and helpful character. As the flm progresses,
the manager develops an obsession with the singer that
eventually drives her insane. When she transforms at the end,
its so freaky because we know her and we can think like her,
Lunning says. Disneys Sleeping Beauty presents the opposite
approach, where the villain Malefcent is simply evil. The
narrative provides little back story or character development to
explain how this happened or whats going on in her head.
Weve got soul Before the late 1990s, most American cartoons
used linear storytelling. The characters were fesh, bone and
superpower, but they lacked soul and character development.
Lunning points to the advertised trailers for the upcoming flm
Green Lantern, due to hit theaters mid-2011, noting it trades
character depth in favor of action scenes. Lunning says the way
Green Lantern laughingly shows off his newfound superpower
seems disingenuous and fake. [American comic producers] are
so tied up with this love affair for the dorky, funny power toy,
she says. If it were a real person, theyd be freaked out.
American plots originally revolved around a superhuman and
super shallow male protagonist, who was a far shot from a regular
guy. The Japanese anime Sailor Moon changed that by introducing
characters that matured over time; they grew from frightened
schoolgirls to heroines. Eventually, that preference for character
development moved stateside. They started to change things,
Lunning says. [The cartoons] started to be about the person.
That preoccupation with character growth appears in comic
books like Spiderman, which showcases Peter Parkers struggle
into maturity. Parker was the guy who never could seem to do
it right, a faw that brought realism to his character. The change
in character styles can also be seen in the evolution of the
Batman franchise, which originally assumed a lighthearted and
comical triteness but later turned dark and serious. Think of
Adam Wests portrayal of Batman opposed to Christian Bales.
The eyes have it Big eyes are the defning feature of anime.
When anime artist Osamu Tezuka started the trend with his
1952 Astroboy comic book, he was inspired by the exaggerated
features of Walt Disneys characters, including Mickey Mouse
and Bambi. Thats because Tezuka believed that large
eyes showed more emotions and distinct expressions.
In the 1980s, many American cartoons like He-
Man and Thundercats had a realistic look with normal-
sized eyes. Eventually, large eyes made their way back
into American cartoons, including Dexters Laboratory,
Rugrats, The Ren and Stimpy Show and Family Guy.
Girl power Until the 1990s, most American cartoons were
created for boys, featuring lots of fghting and male superheroes.
We girls, all we got was Wonder Woman. That was just DC
throwing us a bone, says Lunning, who adds that early female
cartoon characters were rarely tough. Often, they played
the damsel in distress for the male superhero to save.
And then came Sailor Moon. This anime about a group of
middle-school girls with super powers hit American airwaves in
1995. Lunning believes that the show and other girl-centric
Speed Racer is an early example of anime that gained popularity in America.
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superpowered team that fght to save the world before bedtime.
Betty Boops big eyes inspired Osamu Tezukas drawings.
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anime sparked a new trend in the West, with television shows
such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Powerpuff Girls, in
which girls are the prominent characters and are able to stand
their ground against male counterparts. Its not just that they
can go kick ass, Lunning says. The story revolves around
them; they hold the story together. Thats where the power is.
These female characters werent just heroines in an action
scene, but they were emotionally powerful as well. Nana, a manga
about the friendship of two girls living in Tokyo, trades fght scenes
for the personality difference between friends to further its plot.
The infuences of Japanese manga brought American girls
into comics in a way they had never been before. It was
such a boys artdone for boys and done by boysand girls
were really cut out of it, Lunning says. Today, the majority of
comic books produced by industry giants such as DC and
Marvel are still directed toward boys, but women characters
are growing in popularity among independent publishers.
Fun Home, a memoir comic by Alison Bechdel about her life
growing up in a funeral home, was a huge hit. Despite its
success, Fun Home wasnt published by a major comic book
producer. Houghton Miffin Harcourt published the series.
Too cute American marketing and design, according to Lunning,
have been profoundly infuenced by the Japanese fondness
for cuteness. Thats what drove the American craze for one of
the most popular Japanese contributions to American culture:
Pokmon. Eventually, cuteness found its way into cartoons
and packaging. Hello Kitty, a Japanese merchandise franchise
featuring a rounded female cat with an oversized red bow,
was an immediate success when it hit the U.S. in 1976. Since
then, advertising and marketing companies have incorporated
fuzzy animals into packaging and advertisements. In 2000,
Charmin toilet paper introduced a group of fuzzy bears in
their advertisementsthey have since become
mascots of the toilet paper. This year, Kia released
a television ad featuring adorable hamster
rappers. In addition to airing on television, the
ad has amassed hundreds of thousands of views
on Internet video sites, such as YouTube
evidence of its warm reception in the U.S.
While Japanese manga and anime have changed
American comics and cartoons in many ways,
Lunning believes the infuence is still in progress. Theyve
recognized the power of manga, she says. And theyre
adapting both stylistically and in terms of storylines.
Traditional Japanese
architecture idealizes the
use of space and ease of
movement. It is a practical
idea, one that American
architecture legend Frank
Lloyd Wright realized
and incorporated into his
designs, particularly with his
masterpiece Fallingwater.
Tadao Ando, a renowned
Japanese architect, was
quoted as saying, I
think Wright learned the
most important aspect of
architecture, the treatment
ZEN SPACES
A freplace in Fallingwater.
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.
Te Japanese
elements used
in Fallingwaters
design include
horizontality of
space, low-slung
profle, extended
roofines,
detailed roof
edges, exposure
of natural
materials and the
use of a porch,
according to
Blaine Brownell,
assistant
professor at
the University
of Minnesotas
School of
Architecture.
of space, from Japanese
architecture. When I visited
Fallingwater in Pennsylvania,
I found that same sensibility
of space. But there were the
additional natural sounds of
nature that appealed to me.
Japanese architecture also
emphasizes harmony with
nature. Built atop an active
waterfall, Fallingwater feels
bonded to the surrounding
forest. Constructed of wood
and grey-stone, the structure
is well integrated with its
natural surroundings.
BENJAMIN ONG
SOCCER
There are 16 players on Humboldts soccer team. Fifteen are refugees
from Myanmarthe offcial name of Burmaand Somalia. Of those
15, 13 are Karenan ethnic group from Karen State, Myanmar,
that has been aggressively targeted for nearly half a century by
the governing military group that has controlled the country.
Traditionally, Myanmar is a Buddhist country, but about 30
percent of Karen practice Christianity. Eh Taw Dwe, a board
member of the Karen Organization of Minnesota and a refugee
himself, says that the Karen are persecuted because of their
religion, their ethnicity and their political opinion. You can tell
religious persecution is happening in the country, Dwe says. Those
who are Buddhist may not be familiar with this part because the
country is a Buddhist country. Only the Christians understand it.
The Karen students and teammates Julian Garcia-
Delaney, Abdulle and Abdishakur Mohamud have revitalized
Humboldts soccer program, which until 2007 had not
had a winning season for 20 years. In October, the players
As the national anthem played over the
loudspeakers, the boys of the Humboldt High
School varsity soccer team stared at the fag
of the country that had granted them refuge.
Humboldt lined up along the right side of the feld,
standing tall and yet a full head shorter than their
opponents. The boys smirked as they heard their
names being mispronounced by the announcer.
When Aliaar Abdulle, a team captain, became
A liar, their chuckles could be heard from the
stands. But by the time the starting whistle blew,
all traces of laughter had vanished from their faces.
This was the championship game of section 4A,
the furthest any Humboldt team had ever gotten.
BY YURIDIA RAMREZ
DO YOU SPEAK IT?
Karen refugees fnd a new home
on a familiar feld.
SOCCER
Lef: Humboldt
boys varsity soccer
team huddles
before their frst
playof game
against New Life
Academy in St.
Paul, Minn.
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Lef: Tin Tun
Naing strikes the
ball back into
play.
Right: Julian
Garcia-Delaney
(lef) readies
himself as Yae
Naing Tun (right)
heads the ball
toward their goal.
Top right: Head
varsity coach
Matt Osborne
(right) tackles
his team afer
earning second
place in their
conference.
Even though we all want to go to college next year, we all want to go to the
same college. Im scared to go alone. I dont want to be new again.
became Humboldts frst varsity soccer team in history to
advance to the championship game in their section.
Tin Tun Naing, 20, was the goalkeeper and one of the team
captainsthe former a role he wishes he didnt have to play
because of the pressure, the latter a role he takes seriously on the
feld. Hes like their dad, says head varsity coach Matt Osborne.
He is the one who keeps them together.
Born in the village of Kaw Hlaing in Karen State, Naings life was
disrupted when his familys farm was forcibly taken away by the
military when he was fve. Naings family is Buddhist, so they were
not persecuted for religious reasons. He thinks the military wanted his
familys land for themselves. Seeing no viable way to provide for their
family, Naings mother and father departed for Mae Sot, Thailand,
leaving Naing to live with his 15-year-old sister. Naing was fnally
reunited with his family four years later, and by the time he was 13, he
and his family were living in a refugee camp in Mae La, Thailand.
More than 1,000 people were living in the refugee camp,
which Naing says was a microcosm of Myanmar, where they
ate free rice and fsh paste donated from an international human
rights organization and lived in houses made of bamboo. Soccer
distracted Naing and other children his age from camp life. Naing
remembers skipping school to go play soccer with other boys, even
though he knew his actions would prompt a certain stick-whipping
by his teacher. That there was no grass or appropriate footwear
didnt matter. If we put shoes on, we cant catch the ball, Naing
says. Besides, shoes are expensive.
Within 13 minutes of the frst half, Myat Aye had scored a goal for
Humboldta scissor kick in the air that propelled the ball to the top
left corner of the goal. The game was tight for the rest of the half,
both sides equally diligent.
The frst 20 minutes of the second half proved decisive.
Mounds Park tied the game at 1-1 by the 12
th
minute, and fve
minutes later they scored again to take the lead. Slowly, the
Humboldt players consistent game became disordered. Mounds
Park players were brawnier than the average 5-foot-5-inch
Humboldt player, and their aggressive style of play remained
unchecked by the referee.
Four more years would pass until Naing would be safely in the
United States. His family applied to be relocated in Minnesota with
the help of the International Organization of Migration. Naing and
his family arrived in St. Paul on March 11, 2008, a day that will live
forever in his memory. I have to remember that day, Naing says.
First day of being in the United States. So far, Naing says life is
better. He doesnt have to pay for school or live in fear that the
police will send them back to Myanmar. I like it here, he says,
Here is better. You can have a job here. You can have an education
here. I dont want to live there.
Starting a new school in a new culture, however, was diffcult.
The frst year of school, no good, Naing says. I didnt know
anybody in school. I didnt have a friend here. Naing didnt speak
English, and in 2008, there were only a handful of Karen students,
most of whom were more advanced than Naing. He was left to
venture on his own. But now with more than 100 Karen students
attending Humboldt, refugee students have a greater network of
support than Naing had just two years earlier. They even have a
Karen translator: Mr. Sunshine.
Soccer entered Naings life, again, at a crucial moment. He
eventually befriended a Hmong student, Yee Her, who invited him to
play for St. Paul United, a competitive club soccer team in the city.
When I joined the team, I didnt even talk, Naing says. But he liked
playing soccer, and while he might not have understood what his
teammates were saying, he did understand the game.
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Now Naing has a lot of friends, most of whom are refugee
and immigrant students from all over the world. But his closest
friends are members of the team. Their varsity team is united
by soccer, the one language they all fuently speak. And their
family exists off the feld as well. At a team dinner, Garcia-
Delaneys mother, Carrie Garcia, made the team feel like they
were all in the same family, eating noodles together, Naing
says. Sometimes when we meet before the game starts, he
says, instead of saying Hawks on three, we say Hawks on
family.
Family is especially signifcant to these students, some of
whom lost parents, brothers and sisters in Myanmar. Players
who do have relatives in St. Paul still cant expect their
families to attend games because most lack transportation
or have work conficts. So, Humboldts students and staff
have become surrogate family members. In a school where
41 percent of the students are English-language learners
and 91 percent receive free or reduced lunch, a welcoming
atmosphere has positively impacted their lives.
Though they will part ways upon graduation, Garcia-
Delaney, Abdulle and Mohamud will continue being Naings
friends. But he and his Karen friends will most likely be
together for a long time to come. Even though we all want
to go to college next year, he says, we all want to go to the
same college. Im scared to go alone. I dont want to be new
again.
In the fnal 20 minutes, Mounds Park scored again, making the
fnal score 3-1 and ending Humboldts chances of making history
at state. The Mounds Park teamwhose students pay an
annual tuition of $19,960celebrated by drenching their coach
with ice water.
The boys from Myanmarall who had lived in refugee camps,
and some who had been forced to live in the jungle in order to
hide from the enemysat on the soccer feld, staring at the
goalposts. Teary-eyed, the boys rose slowly and walked with their
heads down toward their bench. The cheering of the small group
of teachers and classmates who had travelled to watch them play
made them look upa greeting ft for champions.
At this point, Osborne says, there is no way this season isnt
a success.
Naing was sad, but the shining medal hanging around his neck
only reaffrmed how far his team had gotten and demonstrated
his feelings now that it was all over. Better now, Naing says. Its
better now.
MMM...
Four great places to fnd Multicultural Meals in Minneapolis.
1
Chin Dian Caf
1500 East Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612. 676.1818
www.chindiancafe.com
Married couple Nina Wong and Thomas Gnanapragasam of
Minneapolis are the masterminds behind this Chinese-Indian
eatery. Wong is of Chinese descent but was born in Vietnam.
Gnanapragasam is Indian, born in Malaysia. The couple also
has a 3-year-old daughter who, according to Wong, is truly
Chindian.
The food overlaps
Asian traditions
with distinctly
Vietnamese
and Malaysian
infuences.
Their Chicken
Chow Mai Fun
is a traditional
Chinese dish with
an Indian curry
zing. Wong also
markets her own
line of sauces,
so you can
take the unique
favors home.
Chicken Chow
Mai Fun
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cooked chicken
1/4 cup carrot (optional)
1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup green onions
1 handful of rice vermicelli
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg
3 tablespoons oil
Preparation:
Heat wok on high and add oil. Reduce heat to medium and
scramble one egg. Add sliced onion, carrot and chicken,
sauteing until onion is translucent. Next, add rice vermicelli,
curry powder and salt into the wok mixture. Cook until noodles
are limp. Finally, toss in bean sprouts and green onions.
BY MATT CARLSON
2
Ginger Hop
201 East Hennepin Ave.
612.746.0304
www.gingerhop.com
East meets Nordeast at
Ginger Hop, where Asian
favors spice up classic
American dishes. Manager
Katey Leitch says the
Northeast neighborhood is a
great spot for an Asian fusion
restaurant like Ginger Hop.
Preparation:
Heat corned beef and
toasted bread on a griddle.
Assemble sandwich with
desired amount of toppings
and condiments. For sweet
potato fries, slice sweet
potatoes into thin strips, fry
and toss with salt.
The restaurants signature
sandwich, dubbed the Kimchi
Kulakofsky, takes Reuben
Kulakofskys original Reuben
to new levels. Co-owner
Charles Lodge was inspired
to replace sauerkraut with
kimchi and Thousand Island
dressing with Sriracha
mayonnaise while eating
the traditional version on
vacation.
Kimchi
Kulakofsky
Ingredients:
2 slices pumpernickel
bread
Generous pile of
corned beef
Swiss cheese
Kimchi
Sriracha mayonnaise
Sweet potato fries
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3
Chino Latino
2916 Hennepin Avenue South
612.824.7878
www.chinolatino.com
Chino Latinos cheeky menu reads crisp fried
calamari with a spicy pepper salt from some island
in the South China Sea, but theres more story
behind this squid dish. Before opening the restaurant,
Executive Chef Tuan Nguyen traveled to Lamma
Island, southeast of Hong Kong, where he sampled
items and formulated the menu. Nguyen found a
restaurant serving a delicious squid steak dish. When
he returned to the U.S., he could fnd nothing like it.
With the addition of peppers and onions, the Asian
island dish evolved into a Minneapolis favorite.
Ingredients:
1 squid, cleaned
and cut into rings
1 red pepper
1 jalapeo
1 yellow onion
Breading:
1 quart cornstarch
1/4 cup salt
1/6 cup white pepper
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup passion
fruit concentrate
1 pint heavy cream
3/8 cup sugar
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon chicken base
salt and pepper mix to taste
1 green plantain
Squid Salt:
1/2 quart fne salt
1/2 cup black pepper
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fve spice
5 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup cayenne
Preparation:
After slicing squid into rings, dredge them in the breading
mixture. Fry the vegetables and squid until the calamari is
crispy. Add the salt mixture into the calamari and mix to taste.
1 cup vegetable oil
1 pound chicken breast
1 egg
1/2 green pepper
j julienned 1/4
1/2 yellow onion
julienned 1/4
1/4 carrot julienned 1/4
1 cup white rice
Preparation:
Melt butter in a large saucepan and add shallots for a brief
saute. Add sugar, chicken base and salt and pepper mix.
Remove from heat and keep warm. Slice plantain thinly on
a mandoline slicer and fry in vegetable oil until crispy. Crush
plantains for breading. Dip the chicken in the beaten egg
wash, then roll in fried plantain crumbs. Saute and fnish in
350-degree oven. Serve with passion fruit sauce and rice.
Belafontes Banana
Boat Chicken
Lamma Island Salty Squid
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With a nod to the singers famous Banana Boat Song,
this chicken dish will sail to the top of your list of
favorite plates to share at Chino Latino. The chicken is
breaded with crushed plantain and doused in passion
fruit sauce to brighten up this Caribbean-style dish.
4
Fusion
291 Hennepin Avenue
612.824.6300
www.fusionmpls.com
The word Tako is not an attempt to be hip; it is the
Japanese word for octopus. Chef Terry Hong fuses typical
sushi accoutrements with a variety of ingredients, such
as fried tempura crumbs and house-made mayonnaise.
Since sushi has little smell by nature, Chef Hong stacks
this dish high to stimulate the diners sense of sight.
Terrys Tako
Salad
Ingredients:
Octopus
Seaweed salad
Spicy Sriracha mayonnaise
Smelt roe (smelt eggs)
English cucumber
Burdock root (pickled
Japanese carrot)
Daikon sprouts
Tempura fakes
Flying fsh roe (fying
fsh eggs)
House sweet sauce
Sesame seeds
Lemon garnish
Preparation:
Cut octopus into thin slices. Mix with seaweed salad, smelt
roe and spicy mayonnaise. Slice English cucumber and lay out
for a liner on the plate. Place salad on top of cucumber with
julienned, pickled carrots and sprouts. Complete by sprinkling
tempura fakes and sesame seeds. Drizzle on sweet sauce
and place fying fsh roe on top with a lemon garnish.
The brainchild of the four original Fusion chefs, the
Fusion Roll is comprised of elements that are usually
on opposite ends of the table. From fried shrimp and
potatoes to raw tuna, its almost faster to list whats
not included. The mixture of hot and cold, crunchy and
chewy creates a unique blend of textures and favors. Its
topped with crispy potatoes and a drizzle of truffe oil.
Fusion Roll
Ingredients:
Nori (seaweed roll)
Sushi rice
English cucumber
Burdock root (pickled
Japanese carrot)
Spicy Sriracha
mayonnaise
Shrimp tempura
Spicy tuna (Sriracha
chile oil, jalapeos)
Fried Yukon potatoes
Flying fsh roe
White truffe oil
House eel sauce
Diced scallions
Wasabi
Ginger
Preparation:
Flatten sushi rice onto the nori. Lay shrimp strips, cucumber
and carrot lengthwise, add mayonnaise. Roll this with the
rice on the outside. Place spicy tuna on top of the roll, and
slice into bite size pieces. Top with fried potatoes, eel sauce,
scallions, truffe oil and roe. Complete with a traditional wasabi
and ginger garnish.
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Is mul t i t aski ng l oweri ng our IQs?
BY MARIAL WEIDNER
When recent college graduate
Ross Urven wakes up, he
does a lot more than read
the morning news or down
a bowl of cereal. I turn on
the TV, turn on the computer,
check my e-mail, Facebook
and about eight different
webcomicsall on different
windows, says the Wisconsin
native. Sometimes I use two
different computers. I also
feed my plants on Plants vs.
Zombies on Xbox 360.
Urven is a proud epitome
of a generation known for
doing fve things at once. He
is a multitasker. And according
to current research, all this
switching around may be
more hazardous to his health
than taking a bong hit or
getting behind the wheel after
a round of beers.
Used for decades to
describe the parallel processing
abilities of computers,
multitasking is now shorthand
for the human attempt to do
as many things as possible
at the same time. Years ago,
the skill was the mainstay of
corporate resumes. Today, the
rapid rise of the Internet and
other technologies has made
multitasking so commonplace
that its almost blase. The
simple act of reading a book
has been replaced by listening
to a podcast while walking
down the street and texting
your friend. Want to write in a
journal? Dont be so old school.
Try posting on a blog while
listening to music and cooking
dinner.
All of this multitasking
is made possible by our
increasing dependence on
digital technology and screens.
But while multitasking has been
encouraged in schools and in
the workplace, new research
shows that it can have some
very serious consequences.
Several studies show that doing
more than one thing at a time
can have drastic consequences,
including car accidents and
injuries. Workers who were
distracted by e-mail and phone
calls saw their IQs drop more
than twice compared with
people who smoke marijuana,
according to a study conducted
by the Institute of Psychiatry at
the University of London.
Multitasking has become
so routine that it can feel like
an addiction. According to
InsideFacebook.com, 18- to
25-year-olds make up 43
percent of total Facebook
users, more than any other
age demographic. A study
conducted by Covenant
College found that Facebook
users have lower GPAs than
those who use Facebook less
or not at all. In addition, a study
conducted by Ohio University
about their undergraduates
concluded, Users averaged
one to fve hours a week
studying, while non-users
studied 11 to 15 hours per
week. Typically, Facebook
users in the study had GPAs
between 3.0 and 3.5, while
non-users had GPAs between
3.5 and 4.0.
Laptops can also feed the
multitasking frenzy. Results
from a study conducted by
the Winona State University
Psychology Department
showed that students who
brought a laptop to class
spent much of their time
doing several tasks at once,
distracting both themselves
and fellow students: The level
Multitasking has become second nature to many university students.
Within Reach
Smart phones store more,
so you can carry less.
Backpack full? Go buy a smart
phone. Now, go purchase some
apps to make those everyday devices
youre lugging around obsolete. To
help you get started, heres a list of
helpful apps. Youre welcome.
Broadersheet
Why get your news from only one
paper? Broadersheet combines all
the news from around the world
in one app. It learns about your
interests and feeds your phone
with related stories.
Layar Reality Browser
Picture this: Youre on an
unfamiliar street and want to
know which restaurant is the
best. Dont Google each one
fre up this app. Using your
phones camera, Layar Reality
Browser visually recognizes
places and then layers textual
information, like reviews, on top
of what you see on your screen.
Starbucks Card Mobile
Trying to fnd enough
change in your pocket for
your morning espresso?
Nothing but lint? Dont cry.
Now you can pay for your
cafeine fx with your phone.
Currently this app can only
be used at limited locations,
but its expected to expand.
LARRY GANDY
Is multitasking ruining your life?
Heres how to tell:
Your memory frequently lapses.
You have difculty retaining information.
Your productivity drops.
Your accuracy declines.
of laptop use was negatively
related to several measures
of student learning; including
self-reported understanding
of course material and overall
course performance. Instead
of absorbing the information
their professors are presenting,
students are increasingly
logging on to Facebook or
browsing YouTube. You can
be in the front of the classroom
and your hair could catch on
fre and theyll never see it
because their eyes are glued to
the 14-inch screen at the end
of their nose, says University
of Houston Associate Professor
Dennis Adams in his Wall
Street Journal article, The
Laptop Backlash.
Libraries used to be a place
for people to read or study
quietly. Now they are flled
with people clicking away on
their laptops, listening to their
iPods and quickly scanning
information. This concerns
librarians like Kimberly Clarke,
who works at the University
of Minnesota-Twin Cities:
New technologies provide a
quick and easy way to scan
information, but often students
do not actually retain the
information, she says.
But not all
multitasking is
harmful. For Urven,
its actually helped
him maintain
one of the most
important aspects
of his life. Im in
a long-distance
relationship and we
rarely have enough
signal for actual
conversations, he
says. So we tend
to text throughout
the day.
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tech
Beyond the Blueprint
Computer-aided
design pushes
the limits of
architecture.
If you watched Michael Phelps
win a record-breaking eight
gold medals at the 2008
Olympic Games, you witnessed
another incredible feat as
well. Beijings Water Cube,
the aquatic center for the
competition, was created with
the help of generative designa
new type of computer software
for architects.
tech
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Opposite page: Beijing
National Stadium
(better known as the
Birds Nest), was created
using generative design
components.
Top far right: Inside
Beijings Water Cube
during the 2008
Olympics.
Middle far right: Marc
Swackhamer and Blair
Satterfeld, in association
with colleagues from
their architecture
research collaborative
HouMinn Practice,
created OSWall, a relief
shelter that can be built in
one day and be made out
of any type of material
native to the land.
Bottom far right and
middle right: Outside
Water Cube.
Without generative design,
architects begin creating a
building with an overall vision of
what they want it to look like.
Then they adjust their models
according to what is actually
buildable. With generative
design, architects start with
the parameters they want the
building to incorporate. This can
range from wanting to take full
advantage of south-side sunlight
to needing the air to fow in an
energy-saving, spherical pattern
throughout the building.
Or, as in the case of the Water
Cube and the Birds Nest (Beijing
National Stadium), it may be
that the architect wants to build
an aquatic center around the
concept of how bubbles look
grouped together.
Starting a project this way
can result in a building with
an appearance an architect
could never have imagined.
The computer, in a way, is a
co-designer of the spaces. Its
hard to tell where computer-
aided design ends and
generative design begins, says
Lee Anderson, a professor of
architecture at the University
of Minnesota. But usually, if
there are parameters and some
equations driving the shape,
then you can pretty much call it
generative design.
Since generative design is still
considered a specialty in the feld
of architecture, the programs
are fairly technical. However,
Marc Swackhamer, an associate
professor of architecture at the
University of Minnesota, says
it has already caught on in big
frms and predicts that more will
likely adopt it.
SAM OFFERDAHL
tech
FrEAkS of Nature
Move over, Superman. Here are the new super animals.
Spidergoat Dont be
surprised. You believed
Spiderman creator Stan Lee,
and the marriage between
spider and goat is far more
natural. Spidergoat milk
produces the same silky
thread that spiders use to
spin their webs. The silk is
stronger and lighter than steel
and is used to manufacture
superlight clothing and
bulletproof vests.
Currently, scientists
are working to
make spidergoat
silk production
more sustainable
and effcient.
Inviso-frog Except
for its perfectly
discernable innards,
especially the vital organs,
the inviso-frog (more
commonly known as the see-
through frog) is completely
transparent. The frog was
bred in Japan in 2007, and
could someday save seventh
graders from the horror of
dissection, as its internal
processes can be observed
without picking up a scalpel.
Glowcat No, you cannot
buy this fuzzy nightlight for
your daughter who is afraid
Labradoodle. Cockapoo.
Schnoodle. Puggle. Poochin.
Why would you shell up
to $2,500 for a dog called a
Labradoodle? Despite its silly
name, Labradoodles and other
hybrid dogs are challenging the
superiority of the purebred
the long held standard of
excellence in the dog world.
Hybrids may have enjoyed
increased recognition lately
thanks to their popularity
with celebrities, but they are
more than just a hot trend.
The breeding of the hybrid
has serious benefts to the
owner and dog alike.
Hybrids, a combination of
two purebreds, usually possess
the highest level of physical
and mental strength in the
dog world, says Dr. Margaret
Duxbury, a doctor of veterinary
medicine and assistant clinical
professor of behavior sciences
at the University of Minnesota
College of Veterinary Medicine.
In addition, crossbreeding
allows for a more diverse gene
pool, eliminating most health
defects that exist in purebreds.
There are over 300 genetic
heath defects documented in
dogs, such as eye diseases,
heart diseases, seizures
and immune diseases.
Many are common among
purebreds due to years of
breeding genetically similar
dogs with one another.
Crossbreeding two
purebreds eliminates
most of these problems.
These designer dogs are
proven to live healthier
lives as they mature.
Aside from the health
benefts, hybrids have other
favorable characteristics. For
example, Poodle hybrids are
non-allergenic. This is due to
the Poodles unique coat that
doesnt shed. In fact, the frst
acknowledged hybrid, which
appeared in the 1980s, was
a Labradoodle that was bred
specifcally to create a non-
allergenic dog.
While crossbreeding
purebreds allows for the
combination of dogs
desirable physical traits,
theres no guarantee the
two breeds temperaments
will carry over to their
hybrid offspring. This is one
misconception of any breed,
according to Dr. Duxbury.
Thanks to extensive
documentation, it may be
easier to accurately predict
a purebreds temperament
and behavior. But there
are no guarantees to the
temperament of any dog.
People need to consider
the early environmental and
socialization aspects of a
puppy, rather than focusing
entirely on the breed type,
says Dr. Duxbury. Its one of
the most important, yet most
neglected, considerations
before buying a pup.
All potential owners
should research the early
environmental situations of a
dog before purchasing one,
regardless of breed type
or price. Magic doesnt
occur with a specifc
breed; its the breeder.
CHELSEY LARSON
Going Hybrid
Designer dogs are the new top models.
of the dark. These cats
emit a fuorescent green,
or sometimes red, light at
night that is used to test the
effectiveness of introducing
foreign genes to an animal.
Scientists introduce a single
glow-in-the-dark gene, and
if the cat glows sometime
later, it proves the original
gene multiplied. Scientists
hope the research will yield
a treatment for human
genetic disorders.
AGNES RZEPECKI
Take a backseat, Lassie. Poodle hybrids
are becoming increasingly popular.
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nine to fve
Abhi Kumar is in his fnal year
as a journalism student at the
University of Minnesota. And
like most soon-to-be graduates,
he is well aware that he needs
to gain experience in many
aspects of his future feld. On
top of crafting perfect inverted
pyramid story structures,
Kumar pads his work with
his own sound bites, video
supplements and photos.
Kumar is expecting the
job market for journalists to
be very diffcult. [Its] not
just about knowing more,
says Kumar. Its being lucky
enough to land a job.
Hes not alone. Today,
many employers are asking
employees to increase their
workload for the same pay. As
a result, job seekers such as
Kumar are worried. For many
positions, its no longer clear
which skills are considered to
be the minimum requirements.
The American Management
Association (AMA) has some
answers. The AMA focuses on
improving the performance of
employees to make successful
businesses. They work with
national organizations like
One-Man Band
Todays
employers just
cant get no
satisfaction
when it comes
to their ideal
new hires.
P21, a group that is devoted
to preparing students for the
21
st
century job market.
In April, the AMA and
P21 published their AMA
2010 Critical Skills Survey,
which polled 2,115 managers
and other executives in
AMA member and customer
companies. The results show
that managers measure their
employees performances
through their ability to
communicate, think critically,
collaborate and solve problems
creatively. According to the
AMA, 75 percent of participating
executives say they believe
these skills and competencies
will become more important to
their organizations in the next
three to fve years, particularly
as the economy improves and
organizations look to grow.
According to the American
Society for Training and Job
Development, new trends in
job training and development
include a focus on self-directed
learning rather than big training
events, diversity rather than
homogeneity and social
responsibility rather than profts.
For help improving your
resume, check out The
University of Minnesota-
Morris Career Center
website at www.morris.umn.
edu/services/career/.
JESSICA TAM
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nine to fve
Amid the colorful and eclectic
ambiance of the Midtown
Global Market in Minneapolis is
the cornbread smell of tamales
steaming in their husks. Its
lunchtime and theres a line at
La Loma Tamales restaurant.
People are busy ordering
their favorite tamale, from a
vegetarian option flled with
cheese to the classic Oaxacan
version thats wrapped in
crunchy banana leaves.
The restaurant and its
cousin in Mercado Central are
the creation of husband-wife
duo Enrique Garca Salazar
and Noelia Urzua Vzquez,
who started their business in
1999 only to see their savings
From
Scratch
depleted and credit scores
devastated within three years.
Now, nine years later, theyre
not only the proprietors of
two successful restaurants,
but are selling to hungry
Minnesota Gophers fans
and preparing to market
their tamales nationwide.
Salazar and Vzquez are
both from Quebrantadero,
a tiny village in the Mexican
state of Morelos. Both grew
up in peasant families who
lived off their harvests. In
1993, Salazar and Vzquez
married. They left Mexico for
Minneapolis just two days later.
Their frst jobs working in
the Minneapolis food service
and hotel industries were
dispiriting. We were treated
poorly by racist people,
Salazar says. And we were
taken advantage of because
they were in charge, not
us. When the hotel where
they worked announced
it was closing, the couple
saw a perfect opportunity
to become entrepreneurs.
Because they were already
selling homemade tamales
to friends and people in their
Minneapolis neighborhood,
Salazar and Vzquez decided
to open a restaurant. Using
donated kitchen equipment,
the couple opened La Loma
in Mercado Central, a Latin
American marketplace on
Lake Street. The restaurant
served atolethe traditional
masa-based Mexican hot
drinkand tamales.
They still had much to
learn, however, about running
a business. We got a small
loan and opened the business,
but the results were not what
we expected, says Salazar.
They started losing money
and working long hours.
Vzquez became pessimistic
about their endeavor.
Thats when the couple
sought advice from their local
Neighborhood Development
Center. And for the frst time,
Immigrant
restaurant
owners build a
tamale empire.
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Enrique Garcia serves some of La
Lomas famous tamales.
Hungry lunch-goers wait patiently at La Loma in the Midtown Global
Market in Minneapolis.
nine to fve
Qu Rica Vida
General Mills goes bilingual.
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Latinos now constitute almost 16 percent of the U.S. population, making them the largest minority
group in the country. Tat statistic is not lost on marketers.
Twin Cities-based food giant General Mills has developed a program called Qu Rica Vida that targets Latina moms through a quarterly
print publication and website. Both are written entirely in Spanish and not only promote healthy lifestyles but also provide recipes (ofen
featuring General Mills foodstufs), life advice and coupons. Five years later, the award-winning program is still going strong in its goal of
connecting to the Hispanic community through food. REBECCA ERNST
the hardworking couple saw
a proft. With the help of John
Flory, the current special projects
director at the Latino Economic
Development Center, they
developed a plan to expand
their business into wholesale,
including distribution to the
Cub Foods grocery chain.
Today, you can buy La Loma
Tamales in almost every Twin
Cities supermarket. Their burritos
and tacos are also sold in TCF
Bank Stadium at Gophers
home football games, and the
company has continued to grow
despite the poor economy.
They have qualities that most
successful entrepreneurs have,
Flory says. They are highly
motivated, and they are willing
to make big sacrifces and take
risks. Flory also attributes their
success to their specialization
in one niche market.
La Loma currently has
about 35 employees who are
all Mexican immigrants. They
have a strong sense of fairness
to their employees and what
their employees need, Flory
says. That insider knowledge
also applies to their business
savvy. Immigrants are more
likely to have some of the
characteristics required of
entrepreneurs, says Flory.
Salazar and Vzquez work
hard to maintain the reputation
of their primary product.
We have clients that come
every day for their tamale and
their coffee, Salazar says.
So we try to return to the
client a little of what theyve
afforded us over the years.
Salazar and Vzquez give
back to their community by
sponsoring programs that
beneft Latinos. We always
think, where did we come
from? Salazar says. Thats
the key to being humble.
YURIDIA RAMREZ
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A taco salad is just one of the many Mexican specialties of La Loma.
History of La Loma
January 8, 1993: Salazar and Vsquez marry in Mexico.
January 10, 1993: Immigrate to the U.S.
1998: Develop their tamale-making business idea
as the Mercado Central initiative takes shape.
December 1998: Mercado Central initiative
approves La Loma Tamales.
July 31, 1999: La Loma Tamales debuts as one of
the founding businesses of Mercado Central.
2001: La Loma Restaurant in Mercado Central opens; La
Loma Tamales loses one cent for every tamale sold.
2002: Profts fnally seen.
2003: La Loma Catering begins.
2004: Planning for La Loma Wholesale gets underway.
2005: La Loma Tamales opens in the Midtown Global
Market. La Loma Wholesale is fnally established.
2006: Cub Foods successes lead to mass appeal; Minnesotas
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 25 on the Rise list recognizes
Vzquez and Salazar among 25 men and women under the
age of 40 who have contributed to their communities.
2007: Vzquez is recognized as the Empresaria Latina
by the Latino Economic Development Center.
2008: La Loma Tamales catering sales boom
at the Midtown Global Market.
2009: Vzquez is awarded the 7th Annual National Association of
Community College Entrepreneurship Entrepreneur of the Year.
2010: La Loma Tamales launches at the Northstar Tower in
Minneapolis; TCF Bank Stadium location opens on the frst level;
honored at Finance & Commerces Minnesotans on the Move event.
2013: La Loma Tamales is projected to go national.
nine to fve
Inquire within.
online
Internet classifeds reroute the job search.
Looking for work has
never been easier; fnding
it is another story. Popular
sites like Craigslist provide
employers with an enormous
audience of potential
employees to draw from,
which isnt a good thing for
those looking for a job.
Before the Internet age,
fnding a job was much
easier: you opened the
newspaper to the classifeds
page, found an appealing
ad, called the number,
scheduled the interview
and, soon enough, you were
peeing in a cup.
Lets take a look at a
typical classifed ad from
a much more simple (and
prosperous) time.
A PHONE NUMBER?
Seriouslyyou mean I get to
talk to an actual person? Ah,
the good old days.
Now, it goes more like
this: scroll for a job (the
requirements are so specifc
you cant even get your
foot in the door), do some
resume spamming (pray to
the gods someone replies)
and then hear back from one
job out of the 30 you applied
for (Congratulations! You
landed that coveted third-
shift janitorial job you only
applied to as a last resort).
Bullet points and scam
warnings?! Also, notice
how there is no real contact
information. Enjoy sitting around
in anticipation for the next
month to get an application
that is, if the mysterious school
bus company in question gets
back to you at all.
NICK LAWRENCE
Above: A typical
classifed ad from today,
found on Craigslist.
Right: February 16, 1995, Star
Tribune of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
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.
voice
I AM
[ENTER
RACE
HERE]
Are you black or are you
African-American?
For me, race has
always been a topic of
consequence. I was born
in Kenya, on the east coast
of Africa, to a loving mother
and a man I have never
seen. Both were of Kenyan
descent. My mother later
married an American man
from the Peace Corps,
whom I consider my father.
We moved to Minnesota
when I was four to start
a new life. A year later,
my mom gave birth to
my brother; hes mixed.
With the different
racial backgrounds in my
household, race was never a
problem. My father preached
to us that we are all human
beings. If anyone ever
asked our race, we should
answer: the human race.
Unfortunately, race
relations have been an
issue in the United States
ever since its birth and
plague it to this day.
The U.S. Census, taken
every ten years, must ask
about race to comply with
the Civil Rights Act and
the Voting Rights Act.
The box I chose for the
race question in the 2010
Census was Black, African-
American and Negro.
Checking that box not
only went against my fathers
advice, but raised some
other issues. Why are all
three of those categories
in the same box? Also, if
there were a chance to
pick one of those options,
which one would I, and
others in a similar position,
choose? Truth be told, this
is a complicated answer.
When black is listed
separately from African-
American in race questions,
it is assumed that there is
a distinction being made
between black people that
were born in Africa and
those who were born in
the U.S. When they are
listed together, like in the
Census, it can be assumed
no distinction is being made
between the two. Or, the
federal government is trying
to save on ink and paper.
The listing of Negro in the
census is confusing; its hard
to fgure out why its even
on the form. Census Bureau
Spokesman Jack Martin told
the New York Daily News
that its a term of inclusion
for the older generation of
African-Americans. But many
civil rights leaders rejected
Negro as early as the 1950s
and 1960s. When will
everyone cease to identify
with the long-retired term?
So how should we label
ourselves? This is when my
fathers wisdom really makes
sense. Confusion ensues
when we start to try and
fgure out what race people
are. Many of my friends
could care less if Im African-
American or black, because
in the end they judge me
as an individual. So instead
of trying to fgure out what
box to check, Im going to
choose the only box that
truly identifes me: human.
How long will it take for the
Census to add that one?
KEN NELSON
Checking a box
has never been
so complicated.
voice
PAINT AND PREJUDICE
Is graffti art or vandalism?
voice
Vandalism as Art: Graffti is an
equal opportunity art form, open
to anyone with a pen or paint.
Its art that serves to shock,
intrigue or just get people to
think. Graffti artists have the
world as their canvas and the
public as their audience.
Tom Owen, a retired St.
Paul, Minn., graffti artist,
believes the greatest message
graffti has to offer is true
democratization of speech.
Not confned by material costs
or canvas edges, graffti serves
as an outlet of expression and
voice for the starving artists
of today, just like it did for those
of the past. With a spray can
or pen in hand, artists can go
out tagging, painting, signing
their names or creating other
representations of themselves.
Just because you cant afford
a billboard, or your message
isnt popular enough to get
funding, doesnt mean what you
have to say is any less valuable
or important, Owen says.
Graffti allows us the outlets to
express.
Art as Vandalism: Who pays
the price for these open-ended
canvases? Many frown upon
graffti, seeing it as destructive
or an eyesore. Business owners
complain it deters customers,
while residents claim it reduces
property value. Many major
metropolitan police offcers
and city offcials across the
country, from Los Angeles to
Minneapolis to Charlotte, N.C.,
are enforcing city ordinances
to help home and business
owners recover damages. And,
they are attempting to reduce
graffti production overall.
While repercussions,
like fnes and jail time, will
temporarily hinder artists, graffti
is not a dying trend. It has
been popping up on subways
and benches since the 1970s.
Offcials nationwide have yet
to fnd a solution to stop these
artistic rebels.
For the artists, the rebellion
is half the fun, Owens says.
MARLIE BARRY
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BLURs Wish List
Four needs you didnt have, satisfed by consumerism.
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Join the conversation
as our bloggers
examine everything
from movies to ethics,
identity to robots.
Politics, discourse and ethics
like youve never seen. Blogger
Becky Ernst uses smarts
and snark to discuss moral
quandries of all stripes on
Doublethink.
From a mixed background, Larry
Gandy writes about identity and
what it means today. Taboo,
confusing and serious topics all
find a home at
The Self Between.
You could call Smudge a
dumping ground for everything
culture. And wed be fine with
that. Let us be your garbage
men in the arts junkyard.
Ever wish you had a place to
read about cyborgs, genetic
engineering and augmented
reality? Have we got a blog
for you! Nerd out with our web
team on
The Synthesis!
Find all this and more at: blur-mag.com
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DUSTIN CAHILL
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ABOUT THE COVER
New York City is quite possibly
the best place in the world to
demonstrate how beautiful our
differences can be. Photo taken
November 21, 2010, in Times
Square.
MATT CARLSON, BLUR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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THE ART OF UNDEFINING

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