Is Biking, Is Not Canoeing

Maybe it’s because I spent the better part of my holiday weekend cooking on the Namekagen River–where I slept under the stars but also encountered various flotillas of holidaying drunks who hollered “Whooooo!,” seemingly out of nowhere. (At the sight of me?) Well, whatever this feeling is, what’s clear to me is that I don’t … Read more

Picnic Love

It’s all about the Potato Salad. This is sort of an anti-pasto potato salad. This one is herby and light. This one, made with french fries, won a Food Network contest. Martha’s All American version. Ach du lieber, wir essen Kartoffelsalat. Sehr gut, ja?

Uncle Jumbo's Playground

–Illustration by James Dankert The things a guy will do for a free burrito. It’s humiliating, but a deal’s a deal, even when it’s not much of a deal. A couple weeks ago I insisted I wouldn’t write a damn word until the Twins clawed their way to .500. When it became apparent that that … Read more

Messengers

There were three of them, crowded into the front seat of a Volvo station wagon that had 150,000 miles on the odometer. They were angels, and they liked to drive with the windows down and the music loud. They seldom had disagreements about the music; all of them shared a taste for early Elvis Costello, … Read more

Cry Me a River

The weekend planner: Not so easy this weekend, since I’m subjecting myself to an under-planned canoeing excursion, as not even half-baked by the rather impulsive boyfriend. But if I were to be sticking around town this weekend, here’s what I’d probably be up to: The Fusion Fashion Event, featuring work by many-a local clothing designers … Read more

Guns and Flies

The Proposition, 2005. Directed by John Hillcoat, written by Nick Cave. Starring Guy Pierce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, Danny Huston, the foppish David Wenham, Richard Wilson, and the woefully underutilized John Hurt, and two of Australia’s greatest aboriginal actors: David Gulpilil (famous for Walkabout) and Tommy Lewis (from The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith). Now playing … Read more

Top Mayonnaise

Well, Tiffani lost. Harold has been named Top Chef. He’s going back to New York to open his own restaurant and I’m sure he will have investors and press knocking down his door. He’ll probably be successful, as long as he has a smart someone running his front-of-house. But did he deserve the win? In … Read more

Walk 'er

No matter what you think about all these new designer buildings in town, you can’t help but give props to the frontrunner, Walker Art Center, for programming some pretty neat stuff since re-opening with their expansion. I’m not sure what to make of tonight’s prom-themed fashion show, curated by local hat designer/Target employee Anna Lee. … Read more

"This F'n Vaseline Thing"

For those of you who are still reeling from Matt Barney’s Drawing Restraint 9, I have just the thing for you: tonight at the Walker Art Center they’re showing the documentary Matthew Barney: No Restraint at 8:00–and it’s free (provided you get there on time–tix available at 7). Quite frankly, this documentary is, in my … Read more

Harder To Be Down

He had gone up in his rocket again and again and returned to earth each time with a renewed sense of wonder. Even so, with each return it was harder to come back down. Or, rather, it was harder to be down. He’d gradually grown accustomed to the feeling of being out of this world, … Read more