Some neighborhoods is a recipe for low turnout. This kind of process creates barriers for people with limited time or hectic schedules: parents with young children; those who work outside a traditional nine-to-five window Continue Reading
Recently In the Heart of the Beast Theatre, celebrated a 40th anniversary. As it happens, another 40th annual event took place on Sunday May 18. Continue Reading
I’m not one to cry. Truth is, I rarely cry, but during a visit to Dick’s Resort in the Mall of America I was literally reduced to tears! The bartender was abusive, abrasive, and mean as HELL. I wasn’t sure why he was in a bad mood, but later found out that it is their “niche” to be mean as spitfire. Were they really trained to treat people like this, to the point of harassment? Continue Reading
The Big E, confessing to Minnesita Progressive Project (MPP) readers and contributers, recently wrote that his heart no longer pines to hose down right wing sparkle ponies like Michele Bachmann or even review books by the likes of a Keith Ellison. The Big E (known to his Minneapolis neighbors as Eric Pusey), is the founding scold of the MPP lefty sentry post and appears on the current edition of Democratic Visions as he retires from political blogging. After a moment of posing as a weary blogosphere elder (as if blogging was old enough to earn elders), the smart, liberal confederate, prompted by an actual DFL elder, Tim O’Brien, shines with bemused and bewildered takes on the current state of the Minnesota Republican Party and its clownish, hopeful State and Congressional candidates. Mr. Pusey, who has splashed gleefully in the rushing stream of blogs, Tweets, Facebook twerking and probably Skype, does quite well in the “legacy” medium of television where I operate. Fox Nine News knew that and for a while put him on from time-to-time. But the Fox 9 News producers didn’t have the cojones to make him a regular pundit. Too bad. Mr. Pusey has good chemistry. This ten-minute Eric and Tim segment is yours to consider. Its “tagged” (the TV producer’s sense of the word) with an homage to the late, great, populist troubadour Pete Seeger and Twin Cities activism thanks to the air guitar wonders -The Junk Yard Democrats, a peoples’ anthem, and creative editing. Enjoy! Enjoy! Democratic Visions February Segments Ex-blogger Eric Pusey and Tim O’Brien on senate and gubernatorial hopefuls.Jon Spayde as a clinically depressed motivational speaker with advice for Republican hopefuls.I report on the DFL 48 Precinct Caucuses and present an award winning short film making change. Democratic Visions is handcrafted by Eden Prairie, Edina and Minnetonka volunteer Democrats at the Bloomington Community Access Television studio by arrangement with the Southwest Suburban Cable Commission. Democratic Visions Cable ScheduleMinneapolis – MTN Channel 16 – Sundays at 8:30 p.m.; Mondays 3:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Edina, Richfield and Eden Prairie – Comcast Channel 15 – Sundays at 9 p.m., Mondays at 10:00 p.m. and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Bloomington – BCAT Cable Channel 16 – Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.; Fridays at 9:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. The entire Feburary program and 183 archived Dem Vis segments can be seen on the Democratic Visions Channel on YouTube. Democratic Visions has become the liveliest political issues show in Minnesota. I know. I produce the darned thing. Continue Reading
The lake had 12 to 15 inches of ice, the sky held some strong winds, which turned into healthy gusts for the 12th annual Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival on Saturday January 19, 2013.
I just flew in from Istanbul, and boy are my arms tired. I’m also jet-lagged and writing on deadline, so my apologies in advance for this disjointed ramble across continents, from Kadikoy and Sultahahmet in Istanbul, to Linden Hills and Uptown in Minneapolis. Continue Reading
I am really looking forward to the opening of the Harriet Brasserie, in the old Cafe 28 space in Linden Hills.
I got to meet the owner, Alain Lenne, and his chef, Fernando Silva, a couple of weeks ago at the first anniversary party at Tilia, Steven Brown’s Linden Hills cafe. The talented chef Brown knows how to feed a crowd, with an unending stream of platters loaded with pulled pork sandwiches, jerk chicken, thighs, corn dogs, gravlax, farmstead cheeses and more. As you might expect, the place was packed, and the decibel level as high as ever, so I asked Steven about the best time to beat the noise and the crowds. Continue Reading