Digest of r/minneapolis

ON SOMALI CLANS - A PRIMER (for those that want to keep up with MN politics):

"The clan system is the most important constituent social factor among the nomadic pastoralist Somalis". Somalia is infamous for its extensive collection of competing, squabbling clans - perhaps more foundational to the structure of its culture than in almost any other country in the world today. Somali clans function as sub ethnicities of the Somali nation and are frequently a cause of inter-communal tensions and ethnic conflict, as clan affiliation is the main source of a person’s identity within Somalia. The clan system matters for all functions of society, even for the structure of the government. Somalis usually know their exact position within the clan system, including in urban Mogadishu.

The clan system is patrilinear and hierarchically structured. It can be differentiated into several levels: clan family, clan, sub-clan (sometimes also sub-sub-clan), primary lineage and mag or diya paying group. Clans are led by leaders and elders. On higher levels, these leaders are called suldaan, ugaas or issim. Their role is mainly judicial and representative. Elders (oday) on lower levels (mag paying groups) regulate access to shared resources and are involved in conflict resolution. Due to the absence of functioning state structures in parts of Somalia, the clans and their elders have regained a political function and a substantial influence on the organisation of society.

However, clans have no centralised administration or government. During the civil war, clan elders increasingly became targets of violence, which eroded their power. Nevertheless, they still have a significant influence on society and politics.

The "noble" clan families trace their origin back to a mythical common ancestor called Samaal, who is said to be descended from the Prophet Mohammed. These groups are nomadic pastoralists. The clan family is the highest level of clanship. Its members can count up to 30 generations back to a common ancestor.

The four "noble" (Samaale) clan families are the following:

The Darod are usually divided into three major groups: Ogaden, Marehan and Harti. The Harti are a federation of three clans: the Maierteen are the main clan in Puntland; the Dulbahante and Warsangeli live in the disputed border areas between Puntland and Somaliland. The Ogaden are the most important Somali clan in Ethiopia, but also quite influential in both Jubba regions, while the Marehan are present in South and Central Somalia.

The Hawiye mainly live in South/Central Somalia. Their most influential subdivisions are the Abgal and Har Gedir, which are both dominant in Mogadishu.

The Dir settle mainly in western Somaliland and in some pockets of South/Central Somalia. The main clans are the Issa, Gadabursi (both in Somaliland and bordering regions of Ethiopia and Djibouti) and the Biyomaal (in southern Somalia).

The Isaaq are the main clan family in Somaliland. According to some [social] scientists and Somalis, they are considered part of Dir clan family.

A further clan family, the Digil and Mirifle/Rahanweyn, trace back their ancestry to Saab, another alleged descendant of Prophet Mohammed. The term "Rahanweyn" is sometimes used to describe a separate clan family, as identical to both Digil/Mirifle. In contrast to the Samaale, the Saab clans are mainly (but not exclusively) sedentary clans working in agriculture. They mainly live in the fertile valleys of Shabelle and Jubba Rivers and the lands in between (mainly Bay and Bakool regions). The Saab speak Maay- tiri, a dialect quite distinct from Maxaa- tiri, the dialect used by the other clan families. Sometimes, the Saab clans are considered as a separate caste below the Samaale because of a more "mixed" descent. However, there is no systematic discrimination of the Saab and both Saab and Samaale are to be considered "noble" castes, whose members are allowed to carry weapons.

Clan relationship is regulated by the Somali customary law, xeer. This is particularly important in view of the absence of well-functioning modern state structures in Somalia and a well functioning judiciary system. In most of the southern Somali regions it is the customary law that is utilised to regulate social relations. The clans use deeply ingrained customary law - or xeer - to govern their communities. Besides determining one's origin, social standing and economic status, clannism permeates nearly every aspect of decision making and power sharing in the country. In the best case, the clan may provide a social security welfare system for its members - but at its worst it leads to conflict, bloodshed, and xenophobia. Xeer also governs the relationship between minority and majority communities, but does not always provide the same level of protection to minorities as majority clans.

Taken just now around 6 PM on November 8th

Photo by me over Lake Harriet

Not sure how well-known this is, but I work for an energy nonprofit and most of my coworkers didn't even know about this. Here is the article on Xcel's Website:

https://mn.my.xcelenergy.com/s/billing-payment/residential-rates/residential-plan

The relevant bit:

Below is a breakdown of the energy charge per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Note: Energy charge is measured per kWh

• June through September: $0.13
• October through May: $0.11
• October through May with electric space heating: $0.06

I moved into my apt this summer, and noticed that our bill was being charged the 11 cent rate, which is the default. You have to opt in to get the 6 cent rate, because Xcel can't tell from people's bills if they have gas or electric heating (you could have a gas bill due to gas water heater or stove or other appliance and have electric heating, or you could heat your home using oil or another fuel, so they can't know how you heat your home just from gas and electric bills, hence no opting being in automatically).

Here was the process I went through in case you want to do it yourself or educate your friends and family.

I checked my electric bill, and on page 2 of the pdf, I saw my energy charge for summer and winter. The winter charge (above) reads $0.11.

I then contacted Xcel customer service.

800-895-4999 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat

The phone tree is terrible but I selected: 2 for main menu, 5 for other, 5 for anything else.

Then provide the account holder's phone number or your Account number (long number on your bill or online account).

I said to the representative (nicely!!) "Hi, I was looking at your website and saw that you offer an electric space heating rate of 0.06. I recently moved into my new apartment and see on my bill that I am being charged the default 0.11 rate. I have electric space heating, which is covered under your electric space heating rate. How can we change the rate today?"

He was unfamiliar with it (edit: it sounds like some representatives are familiar, but not all are), and had to look it up. He claimed that only heat pumps qualify, but I said that I was aware that all forms of electric heating (electric resistance, boiler, radiator, etc) are covered. He checked and I was correct. If they say only heat pumps, say what kind you have and have them look up if its covered (anything that is electric is covered as far as I know).

He then said the rate will be applied to my next billing cycle, but the rate will also go into affect starting today The difference will be credited to the following bill (I guess that's just how billing will be). So my next bill will be the same rate, but there will be a credit to the one after with the difference.

I said I would be sharing this information with homeowners I meet and he was a big nonplussed.

Anyway, don't pay more than you have to! We need to encourage people to use electric instead of gas, because gas is cheaper than electricity here rn, and this is one way to do it! Take advantage! (Also I'm not interested in fighting over whether natural gas is bad in the comments, that's not the point here). If anything above is incorrect and the man at customer service didn't tell me, please let me know, I'd love to be as informed about this as possible as I will be using this information at work from now on and want to be accurate.

(also sorry if this comes off as salty and defensive, but it's ridiculous that this is basically a secret, and more people need to know about it).

TLDR: if you have Xcel for your electric bill, and you use electricity to heat your home, you can call Xcel today and get the reduced electric rate (for your entire electric bill, not just for heating!)

Edit: If you have some form of electric heating, but also have gas as a backup, you should also be able to qualify. Call and just say you have a form of electric heating!

Is there any hope of MPD finding the people who keep doing this, or are we all on our own here? First time I’ve seen this happen in Lowry Hill but I know it’s a recurring issue throughout the city.

Transplant from Texas who plans on never leaving this gorgeous state. Minnesota is beautiful year round (yes, even in winter…when it actually snows), but man is there something so special about fall here. I’ve spent the last two weeks walking around in perpetual wonder.

If I don’t see 20 posts linking to Naomi Kritzer’s blog or regurgitating WedgeLIVE talking points by noon, you are not trying hard enough.

50.03% of the vote.

https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/results-data/election-results/2025/mayor/

Got together with some friends last night near Windom Park when the sky started lighting up. We’re a block from Johnson and Lowry, and the lights were crystal clear and dynamic. No filters, just a two-second exposure. Happy Fall!

😢 They sent this email out this morning 😢

Dear Friends of ZB,

This is one of the hardest messages we’ve ever had to write.

After nearly 14 years in our current home and more than two decades since this journey began, Zen Box will be closing permanently. Our final day of service will be Sat, Nov 22.

We started in 2004 as a tiny counter in the downtown skyway, serving humble bento lunches to busy office workers. Back then, it was just the two of us and a small team with a dream and a rice cooker. Over the years, that dream grew. We moved into our current space in 2012 and eventually brought something we love deeply, Ramen, to the Twin Cities in a way we could truly call our own.

We poured our hearts into every bowl. We even launched the Ramen Attack Festival, bringing in chefs from NYC, Nashville, Japan, and Atlanta to share the magic of ramen with Minneapolis. When the world shut down in March 2020, we kept cooking, offering Pay-What-You-Can meals to anyone who needed to feed their loved ones. That moment wasn’t about survival; it was about hope.

The past few years have tested us in ways we never expected. A two-and-a-half-year construction project outside our front door made it difficult for people to find us, and downtown has changed in ways that are hard to describe. Still, we showed up every day. We adjusted, we rebuilt, and we kept going, not just for ourselves, but for the community we love. Holding on this long has taken everything we’ve had, and while it hasn’t been easy, we’re proud of the fight. Proud of the food we served. And proud that we never stopped caring. What has mattered most through it all is our people, the incredible team who stood beside us and made Zen Box what it is. Many of them have been with us for more than a decade, through every high and low, every rush and quiet moment. Their dedication, kindness, and laughter are the true spirit of Zen Box. And then there’s you - our guests, friends, and community. Whether you’ve been with us since the skyway days, came in for your first ramen on a snowy night, or stopped by with friends for a drink and karaage, you’ve been part of our story. Your support and love have meant everything. We’ll be open for dinner service only, Tuesday through Saturday, until our final day on Nov 22. We’d love to see you before we go. Come for a final bowl of ramen, or simply to say goodbye. Your visit means the world to us. If you’d like to support us in other ways, we still have a limited run of Zen Box merchandise, including hoodies, tees, maekake aprons, and our signature house-made chili crisp. Every purchase helps us close this chapter with a little more strength and a lot more heart.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for being part of this journey and for letting us be part of yours.

With love and endless gratitude, Lina, John and The ZB Family

I'm a ride share driver with 1500 rides at five stars. I only say this to give a basis for what I'm about to say. Some of you'alls driving out there is downright shameful if not outright disgusting and certainly thoughtless and dangerous. I'm not going to go through every scenario here, but without a doubt at least once every 10 rides I'm going to see something happen that could have killed somebody. To pick one issue only, the level of tailgating is epiidemic. When there is literally no where to go, why insist on me getting out of your way so you can do the same to the next one up. Rediculas. You know who you are, be better. I have you on camera.

Enjoy jail (hopefully) - I hope you get pissed on by your cellmates as much as you did to all the affected persons property!

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/st-paul-man-charged-widespread-pride-flag-vandalism-property-damage-last-summer/89-6ff2d5dd-17a8-438e-abb0-99925ca76c2b

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Minneapolis/comments/1ledkwh/suggestions_for_vandal_proof_flagpoles_that_go_on/

For the record, I know street cameras are nothing new. My issue with it is that it’s 1. AI, and 2. Not marked with a sign like those new traffic cameras are.

Edit: Since there's some confusion, this is a Flock camera. They're a private AI surveillance company used by ICE and their cameras are going up all over the country. They're soon going to be partnering with Amazon and will have access to ring doorbell footage. Look it up on Google.

tl;dw: I think Jazz Hampton is the right pick for the city right now.

This was a bit of an experiment for me —with the Star Tribune declining the endorse candidates, I thought it would be interesting to do a legacy media thing as "new media guy." Just like the NYTimes would have done, I invited them all in for chat, did some reflection, and made this video.

Very keen for hear if you think i'm getting ahead of my skis on this kind of thing. I don't want to alienate folks, but I also want to innovate the role of the 'influencer'.

Thank you for listening to my TED Talk.