Long Day For Tornado Bob

by Scott Hall

As the tornado watch alerts began flashing last Thursday afternoon, I put a call out to our senior staff storm chaser, Tornado Bob. I knew he'd be tracking those unstable air masses, but we couldn't track him down. He finally checked in Friday morning, and, as I suspected, he headed out to northwestern MN, including Wadena, late Thursday morning, well ahead of the storms. He said it is tough chasing storms alone because he has to pull over frequently to check the latest data on his computer. You can hear his report this Monday morning on 91.7, KAXE, at 8:45.

"I don't Know Who I Am or Why I'm Here..."

The other day the KAXE staff noticed someone wandering outside the studios and inquired if he needed help... turned out he can't remember anything - listen to what happened:
The Introduction of Amnesia Man

Our summer fundraiser starts Sunday night at 5 with Backporch Harmony and goes through Green Cheese Trivia on Sat. the 26th. Are you a member? Now's the time to come to your senses...

Ultimato: Blogging vs Dishes

by Guido

At the KAXE staff meeting today (6.17.10) Maggie Montgomery laid down the law: anyone who doesn't maintain a blog will be assigned the (in Maggie's mind) commensurate duty of kitchen clean-up after the regular Thursday morning meetings. A surrogate pounded the table for Maggie, with implications for consequences; i.e., who's going to enforce her ultimato?

I'm an old hand at the kitchen sink. Indeed, I've done more than a few dishes here in my short time as a KAXE quasi-staffer. I'm not doing this to prevent dishwater hands. My first goal is to simply test the whole system (electronic, administrative, punitive).

I do have important things to say. Truly, I say only important things. Think of this as a shot across the bow. Now that I have everyone's attention, depend upon it: this changes everything.

Maggie: be careful what you mandate.

From Afton to Zippel Bay: MN State Parks

This week on Between You and Me we’re talking about one of Minnesota’s greatest treasures: STATE PARKS. Photographer Doug Ohman has a new book out called “Prairie, Lake, Forest: Minnesota’s State Parks,” he’ll be taking your questions and tell us about visiting and photographing all 66 Minnesota State Parks. But we want to hear from you too!!!

Which park is your favorite?

Which one have you been meaning to visit?

What's your most memorable experience?

Between You and Me with Heidi Holtan, our weekly get-together, a mix of music and conversation from 10-noon on Sat - streaming at kaxe.org. Call in during the sho, email comments@kaxe.org or call out talkback line 218-999-9876

You can also join our online facebook discussion and share your stories of MN’s State Parks, click here!

Adventure and Memory on Realgoodwords this week

by Heidi Holtan

Linda Greenlaw is one of my guests this week on Realgoodwords this week... she's the only female swordboat captain in America. You may know her from the movie The Perfect Storm or the book by Sebastian Junger... or maybe you've seen her discovery channel show Swords. I talked with her about her new memoir about getting back out on the water to captain a swordboat after 10 years. It's called "Seaworthy: A Swordfish Captain Returns to the Sea". Now I'm not usually the kind of gal who likes this kind of adventure writing - but I found this book to be fun and fascinating about this hardworking world of fishing I knew nothing about. Hope you get to hear the interview, I found my conversation with Linda delightful.

I also talked to Australian writer and speaker Michael McQueen about the book he's put together "Memento: My Life in Stories". After the surprise death of his father, McQueen realized how important stories are to us. He had given his father a notebook with questions and after he passed, they found it, filled out, in his desk. It has helped him deal with such a big loss in his life. Questions in the book include things like "What was your favorite childhood toy" and "What can you remember about your first kiss" and "What was your wedding like".....

We also get the chance to hear my conversation with Nick Hornby again this week - his latest novel is "Juliet, Naked".

If you missed the show, check here for Realgoodword archives.

Mayda: Please Pierce Her to My Earlobe

by Doug MacRostie

I listen to a lot of music. All kinds of CDs come into the KAXE Studios and I spend much of my commute sliding discs in and out of the stereo. A couple weeks ago one of our volunteers left a Mayda EP on my desk - I had never heard of her. As I was drifting through the haze of generally unremarkable music (anything can get on CD these days...) I put in Mayda and instantly heard something special. By the end of the EP her powerful and emotional voice and clear, intricately-tuneful guitar work had reached out of the dashboard and grabbed onto my face and made it rock. Perfect :) It's so emotional and consuming, so intimate and personal. It's like there is a wildfire blazing away inside of her, and it burns through her music setting anyone who listens ablaze. This week on Centerstage MN I'll be featuring music from Mayda's "Eyes on the Water." AND - I am very excited that she will be performing LIVE on Centerstage MN a week from Thursday, on June 24th, and you can be part of our studio audience!!! When we open up the station like this it's a very intimate venue - the perfect way to experience Mayda! It's a free concert during KAXE's "Come to Your Senses" summer fundraiser so come out and enjoy on Thursday the 24th at 6pm! (Click here to rsvp on Facebook).

I've also got a new song to play from Mason Jennings, inspired during a 2007 trip to Patagonia to check out the filming of 180° South: Conquerors of the Useless. The DVD just recently hit stores and the soundtrack also features Ugly Casanova, James Mercer and Jack Johnson.

I've got some Dalia and More Than Lights, both with a clear and in-your-face (in-a-good-way) style that will go well with Mayda. And the out-of-this-world music of The Darbuki Kings and Jake Dilley and the Color Pharmacy. And more music from Trampled By Turtles' "Palomino."

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on Pioneer 90.1 in Thief River Falls, Saturday nights at 11pm and on KFAI at 90.3 FM Minneapolis & 106.7 FM St. Paul Tuesday nights between 8 and 10pm.

NFCB Conference Photos

See more photos here. KAXE brought a small army of staff and volunteers to the National Federation of Community Broadcasters annual meeting, this year in St. Paul, MN. Not only did we learn a lot, but KAXE also had 5 presenters for training sessions. Here's a couple pictures from around the conference. Speakers including Senator Amy Klobuchar, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and many more...plus lots of great food :D Check out the pix in our Photo Album. More info at KAXE.org