Seems I’ve become a fan of the Westminster Town Hall Forums. You probably already know about the Forums, but if you don’t: These are series of speakers, sponsored by our favorite Presbyterian church on the mall, that tackle all manner of contemporary subjects. Last year Westminster embroiled itself in the arts, inviting such heavy-hitters as … Read more
Sure, the Twins scored two runs against a lousy Royals team, but look on the bright side: Last year they would have given up three. Good news: The Twins are now 4-1 in one-run games. Bad news: They’ve now scored three or fewer runs ten times, and are 1-9 in those games. There, I’ve posted. … Read more
All right, oldsters. Indulge me for a sec by turning down The Current or, for all you true contrarians, the Jazz 88. Today’s offering comes in the form of a love letter to dear, little Radio K. Remember when? Remember the dreary radio days of post-REV 105, when there was no such thing as The … Read more
He wasn’t even sure anymore if he could jump, could get his fat ass off the ground. One more pathetic little milestone on his way down the drain. Still, he could always find consolations. There were people out there who couldn’t get out of bed, people for whom showering was an adventure worthy of Indiana … Read more
“La Jetee”, 1962. Written and directed by Chris Marker. Starring Davos Hanich, Helene Chatelain, and Jacques Ledoux. Narrated by Jean Negroni. From the files of street critic Sandoth “Guy” Fresno, recorded on fourteen postcards that arrived in chronological order this January, waterstained (or so he claimed) from Hurricane Katrina. Each postcard was identical, of the … Read more
I committed the cardinal sin of the kitchen last night. I let my attention stray while chopping garlic. Slice. My zucchini was a-sizzlin’ in the pan, someone had The Simpsons on way too loud, and I was thinking about my window of opportunity to get some potatoes in with the roasting chicken. I was slicing … Read more
Here’s where I give props to some competitors: It seems a couple’a folks over at Minnesota Monthly are having some success with Before The Mortgage, a recently published anthology of essays about adult life before taking on any real responsibility. There’s a public reading tonight at Magers & Quinn bookstore, 7 p.m. And yes, I … Read more
I was walking around New York this past weekend and I kept seeing cabs with these snazzy ESPN sports tickers scrolling across their roofs. I saw the Twins-White Sox score on one of the things late Friday night, and then saw what I thought was the same score Saturday night. I just assumed the information … Read more
After a hectic weekend of entertaining, Monday can be daunting. Friday night we hosted a cooking class at our house for seven people. We did a kind of Spring Thing with sauteed leeks and asparagus over polenta and halibut with freshly made pesto. I made basil ice cream with lemon-rosemary pound cake for dessert, because … Read more
Well, since I’m yet to give an official nod to National Poetry Month, we’ll make this a books-n-reading-themed Secret o’ the Day. Most important (at least in my mind): The May issue of The Rake hit stands today, and is also posted online. What’s not online, however, is the Literary Supplement we produced to celebrate … Read more