On the first day Pat Awada met with The Rake, she mentioned a behavioral analysis test she had taken in 2001, prior to an Eagan City Council retreat. Our writer was amused to be told about the test, but did not expect much more than that. Then, three days later, she arrived at her weekly … Read more
It’s late afternoon and State Auditor Pat Awada is negotiating southbound traffic on 35E in her white Jeep Cherokee, one hand on the wheel, the other occupied with a Marlboro Light that she ashes out her open window. She brushes a length of long blonde hair from her deep blue eyes and considers the impact … Read more
I didn’t know stripping was such a sore spot in rural Minnesota, until I nearly hung for it. Since my move two years ago from East Los Angeles to my boyfriend’s hometown of Cannon Falls, I had little to talk about with all the country wives. I had no recipes to exchange when we sat … Read more
May 28, 2003 I wrote a column last November about a Democrat fund raiser I’d attended with Al Gore. At the time, I noted that I thought we were in for a long period of Republican rule, because the Dems were such inept marketers. Well, the Republicans, at least in the Minnesota Legislature, (who, unlike … Read more
Print this out, and no matter how you fold it, somebody’s getting bent. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it here.
Who says our new Republican majority isn’t capable of bipartisanship? After passing a law that encourages Minnesotans to carry guns (despite the fact that the only people demanding it were apparently carpetbagging NRA lobbyists and the usual exurban crackpots in tinfoil hats), the legislature is now passing a kind of quid pro quo for lefties. … Read more
Confused about the new conceal-and-carry law? Here’s all you need to know, in one convenient location. How do I get the permit? • Take a “gun safety” course from a recognized gun safety instructor. The law specifically recognizes the National Rifle Association as a provider of such instruction (in case you weren’t clear on who … Read more
It’s not often that someone reads the Gastronomer’s mind; it’s more likely that someone will read The Rake, if that tells you anything. But a fit of Weltschmerz left me unable to decide what to eat one recent evening, and lucky for me it was a Tuesday, and the psychic Ruth Jordan was at Santorini, … Read more
With the economy stalled in first gear, strip-mall stalwarts like Kmart have left cavernous buildings in the wake of their demise. This is bad news for shoppers, of course, but good news for motorsport enthusiasts. Built inside one of these defunct discount centers is Brooklyn Center’s Thunder Alley, the nation’s largest indoor go-kart track. Business … Read more
It’s a beautiful spring afternoon and there’s a costume contest going on at Eagles Aerie Number 33 on St. Paul’s East Side. The contestants—an Indian, a bride, a hillbilly, and a witch—are decked out in gorgeous homemade finery. Their handlers hover nervously, while judges with clipboards move in for a closer look. My personal favorite … Read more