Remixing the Rainbow

This hit the spot this morning: Another PBS ‘remix’ of a popular children’s program, this one “Reading Rainbow.” Oh, boy, it occurs to me how much I dug Reading Rainbow as a kid. This video gave me flashbacks. When I realized that Levar Burton from “Reading Rainbow” was Jordy on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”… Read More →

Swedish paper profiles complicated story of Bob Dylan in Hibbing

Reporter Kristin Lundell and photographer Karin Grip visited Hibbing in October to do a feature for the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, one of the nation’s largest dailies. Today, Lundell’s story and Grip’s photos ran in a huge three-page feature in the Culture section. You can read the story in Swedish here or the Google translation… Read More →

Gov. Dayton pardons turkey, but bird ain’t got what it takes to make it on the outside

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton pardons (live) turkey. (Photo: Hunger Solutions) Well, it’s the time of year for state and federal executives to make a show out of “pardoning” a turkey before Thanksgiving, the time of year when untold millions of turkeys are sold and consumed in the United States. As you can see here Gov…. Read More →

Others to aid Range violence victims amid funding cuts

In the wake of news that Range Women’s Advocates is facing serious funding cuts, other groups are stepping up to ensure that families in crisis can still receive the help they need. If you know someone affected by this story, please pass along this information: Advocates for Family Peace (AFFP) has been serving families experiencing… Read More →

Choo-choo choose to watch this train video

On the subject of trains, maybe Essar Steel can get a deal on this engine. Related posts: No related posts.

No-power tips for #Sandy survivors

My mom’s name is Sandy. So watching a storm named for my mother slam into the United States’ most populous region, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of brethren while potentially altering the outcome of our upcoming election, is upsetting on many levels. Many, many levels. But that’s not your problem, East Coast. You’ve… Read More →

‘Super comet’ to illuminate night sky in 2013

Mark your calendars. In late November/early December 2013 a “super comet” might pass by Earth, provided it isn’t destroyed by the sun. Scientists term Comet ISON (officially “C/2012 S1”) a “sun-grazer” because it will clip the edge of the sun. Being so near the sun, much of its frozen matter will erupt in jets of… Read More →

The evolution and anatomy of the North American graboid

Sometimes, when you really love a particular form of art, examples of that form from the time you found this love are elevated in your mind beyond any position this particular art deserves. So it is for the movie “Tremors” and me. In 1990 I was 10 and very much not allowed to see “Tremors.”… Read More →

"Tempest," other Bob Dylan album downloads for $5

Bob Dylan is out with his latest new album “Tempest.” The Duluth-born, Hibbing-raised poet-musician always draws a lot of attention with his work. The album has received generally strong reviews. My own impression is that “Tempest” seems a major achievement in music and songwriting — more so than even his other recent work — but… Read More →

I know raccoons have stripes, but this is ridiculous

A crew painting lines in Gnesen Township near Duluth painted over a dead raccoon. The DNT has the story and, of course, the photograph, which I will refrain from stealing. This is good because it lets everyone from the Mississippi River to the Apostle Islands talk about something other than the strife in the Middle… Read More →