Jack O’ Lanterns have always been carved from pumpkins.

Until Irish immigrants arrived in the United States, Halloween revelers used hollowed turnips, gourds and potatoes to ward off spirits.

Every Wednesday after work I venture to the corner of Chicago Avenue and 24^th Street South in Minneapolis to an uncharacteristically modern Lutheran church that rises from the surrounding road construction and run-down apartment buildings.  In the basement of this church, immigrant populations of South Minneapolis come together.  Men and women from Mexico and Central and South America mesh with residents originally from the Eastern African countries of Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia.  These populations— primarily Catholic and Muslim, congregate in the basement of this Lutheran church far from their homelands twice a week to learn English, math and take courses on citizenship.   

This basement is home to the English Learning Center, a non-profit organization that teaches adults basic English and math skills.  Students are required to attend class twice per week, while volunteers teach one class per week.  I have been teaching the English 5/6 course where students are at approximately an 8^th grade reading level.  Lessons are tailored to home and work life with the purpose of enhancing communication between immigrant populations and English-as-a-first-language populations.  For instance, we spent one evening discussing how to best contact your landlord should a problem arise in your apartment complex.  Language and cultural barriers were soon shattered as we commiserated over loud neighbors, broken light fixtures, and the most common problem—out of order laundry facilities. 

Class sizes vary, but typically the same students are present each Wednesday.  It is interesting to see their English vocabulary grow and see progress in their listening, comprehension and writing skills. Although I could not be happier for their successes, the best part of my Wednesday nights has been hearing their stories— why they are here and how they are coping with the cultural and meteorological differences they face in Minneapolis. 

As any fan of Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion knows, the Lutheran church often represents the Scandinavian heritage of Minnesota residents. However, Wednesday evenings in the basement of a Lutheran church in South Minneapolis sends Keillor’s Minnesota stereotype back to the fictional Lake Wobegon, where it belongs.

-Whitney McIntosh

For the past several years I have noticed how hard the retail industry has been hit. So many businesses have folded, while some are merely hanging on. City Center in Minneapolis is a ghost town. I can remember shopping at Hallmark and a couple of women’s specialty stores, and now there is nothing there.

Gaviidae Common has crumbled too. There were so many so many beautiful stores there with unparalleled garments of distinction. After all, the downtown mall was developed for clientele with good taste. I think back to Gaviidae’s beginning and I loved shopping there. The Icing was my favorite store. All of their merchandise was primo. They had hats that were appealing with outstandingly beautiful ornamentation. And their suits always gave you more to look at than just a suit. Lillie Reuben left Gaviidae years ago too; she had some of the most dazzling evening wear imaginable.

Someone needs to bring life back into retail in downtown Minneapolis. It is currently a sinking ship. The retail establishments are not getting it right. Their strategies are all wrong and the stores are full of merchandise that does not sell. And the downtown windows are nothing more than a SpongeBob cartoon.

Retailers are not giving their customers what they want in spite of the recession. In these tight economic times, they need to provide their customers with merchandise they can’t live without.

-Carol Payne

Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, has more lakes than any other state.

With over 3 million lakes, the Land of the Midnight Sun, Alaska, has more lakes than Minnesota—and every other state in the United States.

In my opinion, the most beautiful and powerful thing about the Internet is it allows an open exchange of information.  People from around the world, who would have never met otherwise, can instantly share information and ideas.  But it has an ugly side, as it also allows for an open exchange of insults.  It seems the anonymity of the Web provides people with added bravado to not only challenge others’ opinions, but also their intelligence and morals.

This isn’t news to anyone who reads the comments section of their favorite news site. But I’m not just talking about topics such as politics or religion that are historically explosive.  These attacks can be found anywhere.  For example, there is an outdoor forum I regularly visit for fishing tips and insight.  I’ve seen posts as mundane as a question on a regulation turn into heated exchanges.  I’ve also noticed I tend to be more agitated and dispirited after reading through this virtual sludge. 

Thankfully, I recently took a vacation in northern Minnesota and was “unplugged” for a week.  Upon my return to the office I was surprised to realize I didn’t miss those online sparring sessions.  In fact, I felt happier without them. 

 So if you’re a regular reader of comment sections and find yourself grumpier than Walter Matthau after reading them, run your own experiment and ignore them for a week.  I’d be interested to hear if you feel better too.

-Jeron Udean

Twitter has grown from 600,000 registered users a year ago to 40-60 million users today. Are you wondering what Twitter is all about? Taking the plunge and crafting your first Tweet? Or already tweeting with a growing following? Here’s my top 10 list of favorite Twitter tools. Happy tweeting!

1. WeFollow is a Twitter Directory and Search organized by interests. Find celebrities, actors, TV personalities, or new Twitter friends in your area.  http://wefollow.com/
2. Just Tweet It is the Directory of Twitter Users. http://justtweetit.com/
3. Who Should I Follow suggests interesting people to follow. http://whoshouldifollow.com/
4. Twazzup, search Twitter in real-time and find relevant content. http://www.twazzup.com/
5. Monitter lets you “monitter” the twitter world by a set of keywords and watch what people are saying. http://monitter.com/
6. What the trend helps you find out what’s trending on Twitter and why. Provides explanations of why it’s trending (these blurbs are edited by you!) You can also see the latest tweets, Flickr photos and news stories. http://www.whatthetrend.com/
7. Trendsmap is a real-time mapping of Twitter trends across the world. See what the global, collective masses are discussing right now. http://trendsmap.com/
8. Ping.fm is a simple and FREE service that makes updating your social networks a snap. http://ping.fm/
9. Twibes Twitter groups. Find a Twitter group and join it. Or, create your own Twitter group. http://www.twibes.com/
10. TwitPic lets you share photos on Twitter. You can post pictures to TwitPic from your phone, our API, or through the site itself. http://www.twitpic.com/

What’s your favorite Twitter tools?

-Trevor Nolte

Twitter is tarnishing the English language.

The English language is fluid and ever-changing. Twitter is just a part of the already happening transformation.

I have been looking for another dog to add to our family. We currently have an 11-year-old Greyhound but would like to adopt a smaller, fluffy dog for my kindergarten-age daughter, Olivia. I have been visiting local pounds, attending Adopt-A-Pet meetings, and scouring Craigslist for the perfect little pup. I decided I did not want to purchase a dog from a pet store, but rather give an unwanted dog a new “forever” home.

It has been harder than I expected to find our new little family member. Most of the smaller dogs at the Adopt-A-Pet meets are senior dogs with issues that are not good for small children. When visiting the local pounds, I mostly see large dog breeds (they say the little dogs get snapped up right away). I have answered numerous ads through Craigslist but always seem to be too late.

I finally found a little girl Maltese/Terrier puppy that was being offered on Craigslist for a small re-homing fee. She has transformed our house into complete chaos…I forgot just how energetic a small puppy can be! She is very gentle and sweet with Olivia so that is a plus. She does have some territorial and barking issues, both of which we will have to address. But with a little training and patience she will become a wonderful pet for many years to come. Welcome home to our newest little girl, Lily Rose.

-Jane Tomassetti

Clutter, clutter, clutter. For anyone who works in any aspect of marketing one of your most daunting obstacles is cutting through it.

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to listen to a recent radio interview with a Twins executive who was discussing plans for stadium signage at the new Target Field. It seems their strategy is to minimize advertising opportunities and charge a premium for it. This is indeed a triple-play for the Twins, advertisers and fans alike.

Fans should be the biggest winners, as the new stadium won’t resemble a giant billboard for every business in town. Despite paying more, the select advertisers who pony up the cash will have more confidence that their message will be seen – and hopefully remembered – by more people. And the Twins will have to service fewer accounts while providing fans with a more pleasing environment.

Perhaps other media outlets would benefit by restricting advertising? What do you think?

-Jeron Udean

Taking extra vitamin C will help prevent the common cold.

Loading up on vitamin C doesn’t do anything to prevent illness, but instead may have a psychological effect.