"This is impacting Minnesotans from the north to the south to the east to the west."

"The idea of having some superhero to come and save things is kind of nice."

In the immortal words of Sabrina Carpenter, none of this is a metaphor.

Other proposed venue names included Capy-Bar-A, Lemur Landing and The Roar & Pour.

"I want to be a hub for people who are cleaning out an old craft room or something and don't know what to do with all these old threads and bits and bobs to turn around and be able to give them back to the community."

"We can't trust the official government rhetoric of what is unfolding. That hurts me to say that, but I don't think we can." - Venus de Mars

"It feels like we've been flying by the seat of our pants. We have played a lot of places in such a short time, but it's been a ton of fun."

One thing that hasn't changed about the World Wide Web since the beginning: "contact us" webforms are ubiquitous, no one trusts that they actually work, and those suspicions are very often justified.

You could still watch the Oscars, but what's the point? Minnesota's film critics have spoken.

If your Best of 2025 playlist doesn't include "Golden," why do you forsake joy?

Looking back on the year Roger Reinert met the Moomins.

Empire Builder: not a good thing!

Manifesting a mash-up of Die My Love and Train Dreams where Robert comes back from a logging job and Gladys hands him the baby then walks off into a wildfire, naked, while flipping him the bird over her shoulder.

10% of writing is inspiration, 10% is perspiration, and 80% is sourcing photos.

There is no common household task more profoundly altered by having a child than emptying the dishwasher. If you ever want your dishes to see the inside of a cupboard, you basically need to take PTO.

For a movie with so much to chew on, Joachim Trier’s feature moves with efficiency, finding moment after moment of gentle emotional truth.

Our landlord now requires us to file maintenance requests via an AI assistant, and I've never been more motivated to become a homeowner.

In case any Duluthians were still feeling festive, a Sunday storm arrived to make them cut the cheer.

Stepping on a painting...yep, that happened.

Hear me out: Duluth Does John Parr but it’s just Charlie Parr covering “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion).”

"I woke up in Minnesota the day after I finished 'Marty.' I finished this, let's just say, really crazy thing, and I woke up back in safe Minnesota: very like a warm blanket." - Timothée Chalamet, December 2024

You *can* judge this book by its cover (and its thickness): a very extra romantic drama set in the world of elite — wait for it — ICE DANCING, with Tonya and Nancy vibes. With the Winter Olympics coming, what’s not to love? Thanks Random House for the free book.

"Glad you're okay! And we won't be filing any charges." "Oh...thanks." "We will, however, be filing a press release."

Anyone else find it challenging to explain to their toddler why a Squatty Potty is not a stool nor intended to be used as one?

Unfortunately I have betrayed my Twin Cities arts scene roots to Duluthians by referring to an ice shack as a "shanty."

Phrases like "your posterior doesn't have to do penance" are why they pay me the big bucks.

Manifesting

People wink *so* much more often in novels than in life.

Even if you live in Duluth, Minnesota, it’s worth picking up @jonathanmahler.bsky.social’s fascinating book on the pivotal late ‘80s in NYC. It’s a study in leadership — or the lack thereof. Thanks Random House for the free book.

Does anyone else notice when actual snow becomes Hallmark movie snow: those light, slowly drifting flakes that get digitally added to every outdoor scene? Every once in a while, I look out the window and it's like, huh! That actually happens!

Our new neighbors are a couple of real bros.

For journalists, "the Northland" is useful as a concise way to describe the Duluth media market: an area of the country where "going to the city" means going to the Twin Ports.

Truly the wildest thing about Die Hard is that they're having their company party *on Christmas Eve*

Rereading “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and realizing those kids spent that whole time with their feet absolutely soaking wet in Oxfords.

If you can't get a monorail, go for those astrotourists.

The movie includes a scene where the cops are searching a creepy compound when one calls ominously, "Hey, Karl! Sauna's on." What they find inside is anything but hygge.

Something I didn't realize about being a parent is that when your kid comes home from daycare and you look at their clothes, you actually hear the laundry commercial voice in your head. "When kids play THIS HARD, ordinary detergent won't cut it!"

I'm doing a fun little presentation on Duluth's Christmas traditions Tuesday evening at Ursa Minor!

Thank you Darren Danielson for being the trustworthy, calming presence we need during news teasers during The Bachelor. Also, thanks for giving me one of the best kickers of my @duluthnewstribune.com career.

Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” just played in a Facebook ad, and I am here to tell you that the idea everyone in the North Country is constantly on Facebook is absolutely correct. #MacysParade

You know it's a serious storm when...

Previous honorees have included the likes of Ber, Durry, Nur-D, Yam Haus, Baby Shel, Caroline Smith (now known as Your Smith) and GRRRL PRTY — a hip-hop group featuring Lizzo.

Duluth is having the kind of snow that makes you want to tip your head up to the sky and sing, “Lu lu lu, lu lu lu lu lu…”

I learned a LOT reporting this story.

Signing at The Bookstore at Fitger’s today and they set me up with a really optimistic number of pens

"The Mastermind" is a sly, carefully crafted film about a man who can't seem to catch a break. In time, we come to realize he's in a prison of his own making.

If he was from Minnesota, the beer would be "Ope! Pope"

In 1957, Duluth retailers began efforts to brand "the Christmas City of the North." That caught on better than the other moniker they rolled out that year: "the City of Selection."

Website: "Please choose a password. MUST INCLUDE A SPECIAL CHARACTER." Me: [chooses password] Website: "Not *that* special character, you freak."

"People around the world, they got beaver fever. What can I say?"