Monthly Archives: August 2010

Aug
31

After the sushi…

By Katie Kieffer

Affari on rooftop of SEVEN Sushi Ultralounge and SKYBAR. Image credit: Alicia Orvik Photography.

…came the photos of sushi.

Last Monday night, I hosted a special event called Affari for young professionals in the Twin Cities in collaboration with the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. It was held on the elegant rooftop of SEVEN Sushi Ultralounge and SKYBAR.

If you’re curious to see what Affari was all about, then here is a tasting of Affari – courtesy of Alicia Orvik Photography: Continue reading →

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Aug
26

Vornado State of Mind

By Katie Kieffer

Rendering of Vornado Tower in Manhattan. Image credit: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects/AP.

Let’s hear it for New York. Let’s hear it for the New York City Council’s vote on Wednesday in favor of a new, 1,200-foot tower, Vornado Tower.

The Tower:

Vornado Tower is the new kid on the block. She will become the second tallest building in Manhattan. Vornado Tower will be built on Seventh Avenue near Madison Square Garden and Penn Station at the site of the tired Hotel Pennsylvania. This is widely considered the perfect location for a lofty building. Continue reading →

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Aug
16

Meet me on the rooftop

By Katie Kieffer

SEVEN Sushi Ultralounge and SKYBAR in downtown Minneapolis. Image credit: SEVEN.

If you are a young professional and rising star in the Twin Cities, I invite you to join me on the rooftop of SEVEN Sushi Ultralounge and SKYBAR next Monday, August 23rd from 6-9 pm for Affari. Admittance is complimentary, but you need to pre-register here as all guest names will be checked upon entry. Space is limited, so register now. Affari is filling up and is just a week away!

Agenda

6:00 – 9:00 pm networking and hors d’oeuvres
7:30 pm presentation by Katie Kieffer

Highlights

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Aug
11

Minnesotan wins free speech

By Katie Kieffer

Grizzly bear fishing for salmon, Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska. Image credit: Craig Mellish, Florentine Films.

A Coon Rapids, Minn. man named Michael Boardley won big last week. He succeeded expanding free speech in national parks for all Americans. In Michael Boardley v. Department of Interior, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit determined that Americans do not need permits in order to ‘demonstrate, distribute brochures or engage in other “expressive” activities in parks,’ reports the Los Angeles Times.

The appellate court’s decision is worthy of celebration given the scrutiny that the current administration is giving to free speech. Remember when I told you about the FCC bubble wrapping the internet? Politicians clamping down on Facebook? Comedy Central micromanaging South Park? Today, it is my pleasure to report a positive story about free speech. Continue reading →

Posted in Free Speech | 1 Comment

Aug
09

Paying for suicide

By Katie Kieffer

Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco, CA.

Suicide hurts people. It hurts the person who commits suicide. It also hurts their friends, family, neighbors and coworkers.

So, who should have to pay for suicide? Who should have to shoulder the burden and cushion the fall of those who choose death?

The Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District in San Francisco, California thinks the taxpayer should have to. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy | 1 Comment

Aug
04

Cornered in a museum

By Katie Kieffer

Katie Kieffer in Venice, Italy. Image copyright Katie Kieffer. All rights reserved.

Imagine living in a place where things rarely improved or modernized. Imagine living a modern life in a quaint museum of ancient ruins. There are real people living in such a place today. Welcome to Italy.

I recently returned from spending a month abroad and I had the opportunity to talk to many of the locals in Rome, Venice, Bologna, San Miniato and Florence. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy | 1 Comment

Aug
02

Hailing the Reagan of Rome

Part 3 in a series

By Katie Kieffer

Augustus. Vatican Museums, Rome. Image copyright Katie Kieffer. All rights reserved.

America can find hope and direction during recession by looking to Rome. Specifically, the U.S. would be wise to follow in the footsteps of the ‘Ronald Reagan of Rome.’

When you think of Rome, you probably think of Julius Caesar. But, in fact, Rome was not always governed by a dictator. Caesar was a politician and a military conqueror. He appointed himself dictator and thereby contributed to the end of Rome’s Republic and the beginning of a more imperial system that ultimately weakened Rome to the point of destruction.
Continue reading →

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