Hans Eisenbeis

I was surprised to see, by way of MNSpeak, that a new local beer brewery has arrived called “Surly.” That’s a brand already known to dirt-bag bicyclists and gas-huffing bike couriers here and everywhere. The original Surly is, of course, a homegrown steel-and-wool bike operation affiliated with Quality Bike Parts out in Bloomington. The original … Read more

Good to be back. Funny how a week away can recharge the batteries, and the fear and loathing of a return to the office–how many fires to put out? How many angry emails and phone calls? What unfortunate mistakes revealed? What oversights in the budget, and disappointments on the spreadsheets?–quickly dissipates in the good will … Read more

I’m away from the desk this week. In all the sturm und drang of Christmas–I understand there’s a war on it–I failed to mention last week that I had a local radio appointment you might have been interested in. Anyway, I had a delightful time yesterday hanging out with the gifted and gorgeous Kerri Miller … Read more

I seem to have worked out the losing streak, in that I can watch the Wild now and they can win. But I don’t seem to be able to see it through to the end. Three games in a row now–Boston, Montreal, and Dallas–have had quirks of one kind or another. In the middle of … Read more

Yesterday Radar magazine closed–again. And true to established pattern, editor Maer Roshan is not conceding defeat, he’s just back to trying to find another financial backer. Roshan has managed to be gainfiully employed in launching his magazine for three years now, while putting out a total of five issues. Nice work if you can get … Read more

I’ve been meaning for awhile to write a bit about the Minnesota Wild, and how nice it is to have the NHL back this season. Well, not nice exactly. Just another demand on my time, actually, but at least there is TiVo. I wrote last year that there were no truly great hockey writers on … Read more

Here’s last night’s MPR commentary, for those who have asked. I’d warn you when they’re coming, but I often find out after you do. (They’re prerecorded–thank gawd. Live radio is truly for the professionals.) Bike Commuter For the past five years, I’ve been a bike commuter. But last year was the first time I gave … Read more

Over at Los Angeles magazine, the redoubtable R.J. Smith writes about the Village Voice-New Times merger in progress. I like R.J.; I think he’s a solid and accessible writer who knows how to turn a phrase and how to let it sing by not overworking its setting. This is a complaint I’ve had about alternative … Read more

Fell asleep again with the boy. That means waking up at roughly midnight, wide awake, overheated. One would think that in the next two to three hours, it would be possible for me to clean the kitchen. It is not. Too many books to read, magazines. Rereading Bryson’s Notes From A Small Island (not getting … Read more