Since we do listen to our voice mail, it’s a valid way to communicate with us. This month, we had a number of calls about April’s cover subject, Tom Friedman [“A Man of His Times”]. Friedman’s old friends, colleagues, and even rivals phoned us. Tom M. said his mother and Mrs. Friedman were old card-playing … Read more
Has “bird flu” already arrived in one of the world’s most crowded cities? The other morning an old man spent several minutes mumbling angry Shanghainese phrases at the two parakeets that hang in cages in front of my apartment building. A few of the old women who regularly congregate in front of the gate watched … Read more
Mary Alice and Art Jacobson, of Bloomington, take The Rake to new depths—twenty-five feet underwater—in the Gulf of Siam. They jumped out of the boat at Sail Rock, about five miles off the coast of Koh Tao (Turtle Island), Thailand, and buried their noses in The Rake on the way down. Here’s the whole story: … Read more
Mike Gottsacker of St. Paul takes the battle Down Under. (Thanks so Patty Schulz of Minneapolis for documenting the event.) Author(s) and Location: Mike Gottsacker
Liz Benser, chef at Cafe Brenda since 1986 (!) was enjoying the Taj Mahal on Nov. 18, 2005, and decided to take a “Rake Break”. Liz spent earlly a month in India gathering culinary ideas. Interestingly enough, Dan Buettner (on the cover) is a regular diner at Cafe Brenda. Liz will celebrate 20 years of … Read more
Eric Sustad sent us this photo from Tikal, Guatemala, with Temple I in the background. Author(s) and Location: Eric Sustad
The North Dakota article by Jennifer Vogel [“No. 1 Hard,” February] made me want to move back to North Dakota. After living in Minnesota for many years, I have listened to put-downs of North Dakota from fellow workers and friends. But I have always taken it with good humor. After all, most of these people … Read more
Regarding Clinton Collins’ March column [“Who are you calling an ‘underperformer’?”]: You don’t have to go to Silicon Valley to find this point of view about U.S.-born Caucasian students. You can find it here at the U of M. I am a research faculty member in the Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health. For … Read more
I have been in the organic-food industry for over thirty-seven years. I have been a retailer, wholesaler, producer, manufacturer, distributor, and IT guy for the largest organic network in the U.S. I will not attempt to repudiate your claims in “Trust but Verify & Serve with a Light Burgundy” [March], although it is very tempting, … Read more
In your review long ago of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [the Broken Clock, December 2004], you suggested to bring “plenty of nerd repellent.” Do you know where I might be able to purchase some effective nerd repellent? I live in a backward state called Illinois where the inmates are running … Read more