With an inventory of 8,000 VHS and 2,000 Beta tapes, the first Blockbuster store opened October 19, 1985, in Dallas, Texas. Number of Blockbuster stores: 1989: 1,000 stores 1999: 6,500 stores 2009: 7,400 stores 2019: 1 in Bend, Oregon.

When one cuts one’s nose to spite one’s face so many times, one can no longer smell the 💩 they voted for.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. - Sir Paul McCartney born on this day, June 18, 1942

So blessed to live in the era of The Beach Boys. Rest easy Brian Wilson. ✌️❤️🎶

New post: Reminiscing about 90’s malls again. Ranting about popovers and $41 fish and chips. www.patreon.com/jenieats

Local angle: Who knew? Ray Kroc’s wife Joan was born in West St Paul, MN! They met while she was playing piano at the Criterion Restaurant in St Paul in 1957.

The way I feel when protesting MAGA and everything associated: "Our job always and forever was to refuse Apocalypse in all its forms and work cheerfully against it," from I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger.

Hey Bezos and Blue Origin… I spent about $70 here on Earth yesterday, supporting local businesses. Never left the ground. Low risk, higher reward.

Given his quietness, @beschlossdc1776.bsky.social must be working on another great book. Hoping that is the case cause the world misses his input. Sincerely, Mike. ✌️❤️

“Trump is asking for the machinery of American justice to launch baseless investigations, to harass, and even possibly to criminally charge people at his whim” in the Great Hall of DOJ as we slide toward authoritarianism. My latest for @contrariannews.org open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Throwback Thursday: Reveler tries to conceal his beer can after a surprise encounter with St. Paul police officer Frank Langan outside Gallivan's bar in downtown St. Paul during city's St. Pats Day festivities on Mar 17, 1976. "That's a no-no," Langan told him. Pioneer Press

March 11, 1984: Van Halen plays the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota

So the folks who didn’t vote for Kamala Harris for fear of the status quo of Biden’s policies. What say you now? Is this the difference you wanted?

Is Twitter down? Looks like Tesla is too.

With the recent change, a quote on the subject of time: “Time heals, after all — although the clock that marks that kind of time has no hands. “ - Suze Rotolo

NEW: WIRED got IP blocked by the Social Security Administration, among other outlets covering Musk's takeover. Federal workers are now "prohibited" from accessing our reporting on "government-furnished equipment." WaPo, NYT, and MSNBC are likewise banned, sources confirm.

27 years of looking out for all us sinners. We should take comfort in that. On this date, March 6, 1998, we learned of The Dude. Written, directed and produced by the Coen Brothers, The Big Lebowski hit theaters nationwide.

Absolutely stunning. Trump to Chief Justice Roberts: "Thank you again. Thank you again. I won't forget."

PSA: All Metro Transit bus service in the Twin Cities is suspended until further notice due to snow, per WCCO-AM

Crazy people, those Minnesotans. Dateline: March 4, 1903, Duluth MN - NY Times.

Cheers to Bob Dylan’s paternal grandparents, Anna Kirghiz and Zigman Zimmerman, who emigrated from Odessa in the Russian Empire (now Odesa, Ukraine) to the U.S. in 1905 following the pogroms against Jews.

The surface of everything is thinner than we know. A person can fall right through, without any warning at all. - Leif Enger

Ukrainian churches in Minneapolis

U.S. Terminates Funding for Polio, H.I.V., Malaria and Nutrition Programs Around the World. Story by @stephanienolen.bsky.social Gift link nyti.ms/41yWNgN

I look at the world and I notice it's turning While my guitar gently weeps With every mistake we must surely be learning Still my guitar gently weeps - George Harrison Feb 25 1943 - Nov 29 2001 ✌️❤️🎶

Thank you @nextchapterbooksmn.bsky.social for it having on your shelf!! ✌️❤️📚

Live from St Paul….its reading time! After the first paragraph of page eight, I said out loud, “This is gonna be a ride!”

Behind on posting some good columns by my dad! This one is about the actor, Monica Barbaro, who played Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown. She went to Tam High in Marin County! (name drop alert) Joan's a longtime friend of my fam, so my pops got some reaction from her. www.marinij.com/2025/01/30/m...

SNL50 Symmetry: Rewatching last nights special it hit me. What a way to bring it full circle: The show starts w Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon singing 🎶Homeward Bound🎶 The show ends with Sir Paul singing “🎶Once, there was a way To get back homeward…🎶 Well done, Lorne, well done!

SNL in the Snow.

Hey…

Live from New York…. Tonight’s SNL episode will be the very first one. 10/11/75 with George Carlin as host; Janis Ian and Billy Preston as musical guests. Also, search your cable provider for all 50 years of SNL, likely as part of your subscription Locals: Xfinity has them.

Chris Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) High School Hockey. #SNL50

CHER!!!

WOW! Mumford & Sons featuring Jerry Douglas singing The Boxer! WOW! SNL Homecoming Concert

Happy Friday, Folks.

Extraordinary times we live in. DC has become a third grade playground.

Fifty or fifty-one years ago, yours truly was anointed Valentine King of the 4th grade. Dig the duds? Shirt and tie made by my Mother. Happy Valentines Day!

Local angle: Patty Berg (February 13, 1918 – September 10, 2006)

I hope SCOTUS is happy.

"A weak strongman brings only losses without gains. And so the descent begins." The Weak Strongman, by @TimothyDSnyder substack.com/@snyder/note...

Books and Birthdays: Charles Robert Darwin (February 12, 1809 – April 19, 1882) Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) Bill Russell (February 12, 1934 - July 31, 2022)

And if you call for an Uber or Lyft and get a Tesla, cancel it and tell them why.

Spread Some Love With Brownies open.substack.com/pub/stephani...

Data point: The Crookston (Minn.) Times newspaper has ceased publication.