My ingestion of Hurricane Charleys (vodka, mint leaves, some blue stuff, some green stuff) was rudely interrupted around 7:30 EDT last night by the first phone calls from home bringing news of the 35W bridge collapse. Within the first hour of coverage the familiar patterns of tragedy-reporting, both good and bad, were playing … incessantly. … Read more
Obento-ya may be small — tiny, in fact — but the little Japanese storefront at 15th and Como Ave. S.E. offers the biggest selection of bento box meals I’ve seen locally. The 18 different varieties range from tempura shrimp to grilled mackerel, served in a lacquered box with accompaniments of white rice, green salad, Japanese … Read more
What do you do the day after a bridge collapses? Maybe just stay in. True. But it’s also the start of Fringe Festival today, and you don’t want to let fear push you around. (Respect it. Yes. But don’t let it push you around.) Here’s what you do. Regroup. Breath. Inform yourself. I’ll give you … Read more
Even from the coast of SW Florida I get the feeling of KG overkill in Twin Cities media. Nothing like a blockbuster sports deal in the dog days. I count myself among the “fans” who pretty much ignored the Timberwolves start to finish last season. I don’t recall (TM … Albert Gonzales, Dick Cheney) listening … Read more
If the $150 a plate gastronomic Taste of the Nation Minneapolis-Saint Paul extravaganza scheduled for September 16 at Graves 601 Hotel is a little too rich for your blood, the organizers of this year’s Share our Strength fundraiser to fight childhood hunger have a more affordable option: a $35 grazing dinner next Wednesday, August 8, … Read more
BOOKS & AUTHORS by Max Ross Release of Barack Obama’s Biography Since the beginning of Barack Obama’s campaign for a seat in the Illinois Senate, David Mendell has covered Obama’s career. Now Mendell has compiled a biography of the politician, Obama: From Promise to Power, culled from his observations, as well as from exclusive interviews … Read more
by Peter Schilling Director Nicholas Ray’s first film (from 1948) has been called the most auspicious debut in American movies since Citizen Kane. Based on the dynamite Depression-era gangster novel Thieves Like Us, They Live by Night begins with the daring prison break of three men: a 23-year-old killer named Bowie and the aged, hardened … Read more
I feel like the guy sweeping up after the elephants. Only I’m also the elephant. My lovely bride and I are enjoying a little beach time with family in sweltering, blustery Florida this week: Captiva Island — where, before you start building, a quarter acre of limestone gravel with no view of either the Gulf … Read more
File this under drivel: I just got back from a long weekend in NYC, where I spent most of my time fanning the flames of my other life (theater critic/writer). But I made time for a stop at the Tracy Reese store, and even scored a delightful summer frock for a mere thirty-eight dollars! Also, … Read more