Stephen Colbert’s relentless standup at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner would have gone unremarked, if not for the power of the internets. This is understandable. When you shit on everyone in the room, they tend not to run outside and brag about it. And given that the shit-sandwich was cut in half and shared in … Read more
a square meal? Who can keep all the pyramidal permutations straight these days. There are good carbs and bad carbs, good fats and doughnuts. Being a foodiphile I’ve never been one to cut anything out of my life, but I have become a bit of a processed-food nazi. Even that doesn’t mean that I don’t … Read more
My wish came true! Shutka Book of Records has been added to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival’s “Best of Fest.” The replay happens tonight–and tonight only–at Oak Street Cinema at 9:30 p.m. Otherwise, I’ll be offering DVD rental to close friends and relatives starting next week. Also on the “Best of Fest” roster, disappointingly: … Read more
Item: I received in my inbox (not the Rake email, but my personal address for friends and family) this little note from the folks at Motive Entertainment, the good people who helped make Mel Gibson’s S and M Undead Masterpiece The Passion of the Christ such a big hit. These folks have set up a … Read more
Happy May Day! (Grumble-Grumble.) The interminable rain foiled my weekend running plans of course, although it didn’t stop me from making it Brave New Workshop way. Also swung into the Soap Factory (two opposable thumbs up for the 8x8x8 exhibition–they had felt art!) and Theatre in the Round. But I’ll report back on all that … Read more
um … hello? If you have dinner plans at a restaurant tonight, expect the unexpected. Latinos are the backbone of the kitchen industry: dishwashers, prep cooks, line cooks, bussers. They happily and successfully do the work that many native-born Americans refuse to do. Will they be there tonight to support your meal? It’s important to … Read more
Death had become bored with humans and their ridiculous rituals, their lip service to life and its preciousness. How could he take them seriously after all the centuries they’d been mucking up his once mostly orderly routine? Once upon a time he’d had a pretty cut-and-dried job description. It wasn’t pleasant work –it wasn’t meant … Read more
This piece of information doesn’t exactly qualify as comfort, but on a rainy Saturday in late April it will perhaps serve as a grim and modestly entertaining diversion: For two days, late in the first month of the 2006 season, the Minnesota Twins were the worst baseball team on the planet. And maybe this will … Read more
Every day, every day I hear enough to fill a year of nights with wondering. –Denise Levertov, from “Every Day” Bring me all your dreams, You dreamer, Bring me all your Heart melodies That I may wrap them In a blue cloud-cloth Away from the too-rough fingers Of the world. —Langston Hughes, “The Dream Keeper”
United 93 and Akeelah and the Bee “United 93”, 2006. Written and Directed by Paul Greengrass. With a cast of unfamous actors and actresses and many of the grounds crew, air traffic control, and, perhaps the star, Ben Sliney. Now showing at theaters throughout town. Around the turn of the last century, the Coney Island … Read more