The Rake: Recent articles and posts

The True Powerhouse Behind KISS

Erin Roof — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:05:57 -0500

When the glitz and the flash and the devilish showboating are stripped away, Ace Frehley shines as the true powerhouse behind KISS. In his legendary band, the "spaceman" often got swallowed by Gene Simmons's fire-spewing antics and Paul Stanley's notorious onstage preening. But it was Frehley's axe-wielding that gave musical credibility to the band's campy allure. He is

Sauced Again

Cristina Cordova — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:21:52 -0500

Why does Papa's Pizza and Pasta keep getting overlooked?

Guts and Small Ball

Brad Zellar — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:38:41 -0500

^{AP Photo by Jim Mone}

Francisco Liriano was almost as disappointing as Nelson Liriano. There has been a disquieting wave of injuries—to Michael Cuddyer, Kevin Slowey, Adam Everett, Scott Baker, Nick Punto, and, most depressingly, to Pat Neshek.

Warning: This Post Contains Words

Cristina Cordova — Tue, 13 May 2008 02:25:51 -0500

Be sure to check out our Great Commuter Challenge slideshow and find out who won yesterday's race. We also have a great piece on The Films of Carlos Reygadas, and a new fiction piece by David Dorle (with nudity even — tasteful as it is).

BOOKS & AUTHORS
Raking Through Books

May 13, 2008: I Can't Complain...

Jimmy Gaines — Tue, 13 May 2008 03:43:16 -0500

Southern Swing: Gastronomic Gems in Rochester and Decorah

Jeremy Iggers — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:26:36 -0500

Carol and I got really lucky last night. We were on our way back to the Cities from visiting her folks on the farm, not too far from Decorah, when we decided to stop for dinner in Rochester. I wanted to check out Söntés, the new tapas bar and restaurant across from the Holiday Inn. The lucky part was, ordinarily, Söntés isn’t open on Sundays, but they made an exception for Mothers Day. And the food itself was really delightful. We had been

Camden Workhouse Theater: 'Night Mother

Cristina Cordova — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:43:47 -0500

What do you do if your daughter tells you that she'll be dead by morning?

Obamania

Glen Ross — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:46:01 -0500

^{photo from Pander Watch}

(read aloud)

Obama!

Obama, mama!

Obama mama, blackjack!

Obama mama blackjack, jackpot! Smoke a lot?

Brain rot?

Minnesota

pep rally, rock show! Let's go! Cash flow!

Are we here? Do we know? Where to go? Say so!

Minnesota slam dunk. In the trunk. No junk.

Put it in the mix, punk!

Hoosier daddy

Insomnia

Cristina Cordova — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:47 -0500

Thin are the night-skirts left behind
By daybreak hours that onward creep,
And thin, alas! the shred of sleep
That wavers with the spirit's wind:
But in half-dreams that shift and roll
And still remember and forget,
My soul this hour has drawn your soul
A little nearer yet.

Our lives, most dear, are never near,
Our thoughts are never far apart,
Though all that draws us heart to heart
Seems fainter now and now more clear.
To-night Love claims his full control,
And with desire and with regret
read more

May 12, 2008: Dutch, A Mild Mannered Weatherman By Day...

Jimmy Gaines — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:53:23 -0500

A Precise Poem

Max Ross — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:32:02 -0500

Employing a tactic I'm pretty sure I've picked up from the current presidential administration, I've decided to take a new approach to truth. Namely, I'm going to make it up. And make it up in such a way that justifies every decision I decide(r), and in such a way that makes me feel better about my life, and the enveloping society thereof.

Mother's Day: A Stupid, Manipulative Holiday

Ann Bauer — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:10:12 -0500

I think we're all in agreement (aren't we?) that Mother's Day as it is currently practiced is by far the most commercial, needlessly costly, guilt-induding holiday of all time. For years, I've insisted it was begun by a consortium of greedy florists and greeting card manufacturers, and I've told my children. . . .please. . . .never to observe it.

momoughttamobiles

Chris Birt — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:00:38 -0500

(pictured: the AMG R-class Mercedes. 502HP, 0-60, 4.7 seconds. Meet the Mom who owns one--lives in Excelsior.)

Mother's Day manipulative?

Not for Road Rakes.

I have always found, for example, that Mimosas pair nicely with a late model Mercedes and/or Maserati. For this reason, you ought consider taking your mom car shopping. Women buy more cars than men anyway (a fact that seems lost on most dealers.)

Leave me alone... I am trying to sleep

Melinda Jacobs — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:49:49 -0500

I used to think that when I was up at night and my hubby was snoozing, rubbing his back was a nice thing to do.

Guess it's not only not nice, but it's annoying.

All this time I thought I was being little miss affectionate, but instead... I have been waking up my partner when he is just trying to get some deep sleep. I never knew this until today.

NBA Second Round Update Thread

Britt Robson — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:15:51 -0500

Celtics-Cavs Update: Squared series after 88-77 Cavs win last night.

The Future of the Past

Hannah Simpson — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:54:00 -0500

Everyone ponders the future. Whether it's five minutes from now or five million years from now, it is bound to creep up in some form or another. Stanley Kubrick reinvented what it means to be a filmmaker in 1968 with the design of a fictional world in the year 2001 that questions the mysteries of science, technology, and evolution.

Chop It Off

Todd Smith — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:41:24 -0500

My squat little body houses a record number of physical calamities. If you have read my latest published story, "Pharma Chameleon," (in the March issue of The Rake) you already know that I'm pretty much a bubble boy. My latest impediment is a Pterigium (kind of like a nasty veiny weed) on my right eye. As the weird red growth pushes on my pupil, the formerly blue eye is now always bloodshot and weeping. The Pterigium was caused from my over exposure to sunlight. For

Son of Rambow

Christopher Kelleher — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:08:09 -0500

The name Son of Rambow conjures images of some hot young actor like Shia LaBeouf trekking through the mountains of Afghanistan, dodging Taliban attacks while searching for a captured Sylvester Stallone. Rest assured, this is not what you will get from this refreshingly creative twist on the coming-of-age genre.

May 9, 2008: Three Great Days

Jimmy Gaines — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:55:49 -0500

You Belong — and So Does Mom

Cristina Cordova — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:26:53 -0500

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Baby Got Curves

A Minimalist, Light Approach to Shakespeare

Max Ross — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:51:38 -0500

There are two things that need to be done, I think, when adapting a Shakespeare play. First, respects must be paid to the language — the actors must own their lines, the director must choose the emphases that suit his/her interpretation best. And second, the cast must act as translators, using their bodies to re-interpret the script and make it relatable for the modern audience, so that thumb-biting, say, can actually be perceived as an offense.

Acadia Cafe: Shades of the New Riv

Jeremy Iggers — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:23:33 -0500

I felt a twinge of nostalgia the other night when I stopped in for a bite at the Acadia Café, which recently moved from Franklin and Nicollet to Cedar and Riverside. Back in my college days – and for many years after, the space was home to the New Riverside Café, run by an anarchist collective. In the early years, there were no fixed prices – you were supposed to "Eat what you need, pay what you can afford." A sign invited

Duh. Duh. Duh, Duh Duh?

Chris Birt — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:39:26 -0500

If you are going to review films, as my USC intern used to say, then start at the top. So here is my review of Iron Man.

Because Iron Man is more of a movie than a film, I am not sure what to say. Films engage you. Movies distract you.

To be honest, Iron Man may well be a film if it weren't for its one overarching distraction. I waited, as did others, for "the riff." The riff that could be the greatest in hard rock history (so some say). So why does John Farveau wait until the credits to hit us with Ozzy's opus?

W.I.F.E.

Melinda Jacobs — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:13:59 -0500

"We would probably have a better shot of winning the Power ball lottery than having our wives wear this!"

This was sent to me by my former boyfriend, who is now my good buddy, Rob Vinton. Yes, he is the son of Bobby Vinton, and we met here on a show about being the Child of a Celebrity—(Good Company) KSTP TV—in the '80s.

The Neglected Breast

Cristina Cordova — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:14:25 -0500

He couldn't help glancing at her legs. It wasn't just that they were long and slender and perfectly tapered, or that she had swung one over the other and now tapped the air with a sling-back stiletto, or that they were smooth and tanned and flawless, but that they were bare. Like so many young professional women down here, she did not wear stockings and for a man of his age and tradition, he found that slightly crass and sexy as all get-out.

Don't Take Bags from Anyone

Cristina Cordova — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:37:57 -0500

Disheartened by plastic

Other Signs of Springs

Cristina Cordova — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:19:09 -0500

WINE & DINE
Take to the Streets

May 8, 2008: Late For Work

Jimmy Gaines — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:13:58 -0500

The Echo Nest Enables Personalized Music Experience

Cristina Cordova — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:53:03 -0500

This just in:

The Echo Nest, a music intelligence company providing enhanced music search, recommendation and interactivity technology to online music companies, launched its second hosted application, "Recommend," today.
read more

Franco-American Relations, Indeed

Cristina Cordova — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:19:20 -0500

A smattering of bonjours and soft smiles accompanied the light, nervous energy that breezed through the Alliance Française this particular Monday morning. Huge croissants and berries lay untouched on the table as hosts and hostesses pinned tricolored nametags to their jackets and blouses.

One-Stop Guide to Development Sites in MSP

Cristina Cordova — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:44:21 -0500

Today was the launch of MetroMSP — a new Web site that offers companies and site selectors instant access to comprehensive and crucial marketplace information about available commercial, industrial and retail sites in the 11-county Minneapolis Saint Paul metro region.

The Web site covers the anchor cities of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Bloomington, as well as Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties.

GOP BDSM

Rich Goldsmith — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:19:11 -0500

As the debate at the capitol starts to sound eerily Tyra-inspired, it's important to note that, according to The Defenestrator's highly-knowledgeable sources, had House and Senate leadership handled Pawlenty's veto of the Central Corridor differently, many of the problems the DFL caucus has with Tim Pawlenty's demands likely would have been non-issues. As

Standing Ovation

Cristina Cordova — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:38:44 -0500

The Films of Carlos Reygadas

Cristina Cordova — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:09:04 -0500

The screen is black. A mass of ambient sounds emerges to pull the viewer into an immediate state of hypnosis. Crickets and a plethora of other insects are making their voices heard. Cattle and roosters join in, birds chirping, all while the camera slowly spins around with the grace of a Hitchcock film. At first a bit disorientating, soon it's evident we're looking at the nighttime sky onscreen, clouds and stars all together to form a perfect symbiosis with the soundtrack. The camera settles, and some light appears on the horizon. As the sun rises, two

Siete de Mayo — All Around the World

Cristina Cordova — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:35:48 -0500

New this week: May Day Parade slideshow, Second Runway Show slideshow, Meet Local Filmmaker Jon Springer, and Campfire.

FILM
Global Lens, or Fast and Loose

May 7, 2008: Dutch, Darch, Capricorn & Hale Ltd

Jimmy Gaines — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:43:28 -0500

Pigs on the Wing

Glen Ross — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:06:01 -0500

In the wake of the Great War there was Dick Tuck, and Dick Tuck begat Donald Segretti, and Donald Segretti begat Karl Rove. Karl Rove's further begetting remains undisclosed.

Take to the Streets

Ann Bauer — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:01:05 -0500

I'm of two minds about street food.

Personally, I find it unsatisfying. I don't like to walk and eat (too messy!), and I hate the taste of wooden sticks and skewers. Yet, there's something about a bustling city street dotted with steaming food stands and vendors that makes me happy. I'll take a stroll the crowd, even if I'm not moved to stop and nosh.

Nabokov's Attempted Murder

Max Ross — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:32:40 -0500

Kill your darlings.

This is the command given young writers when they're learning to edit their stories and poems. (It usually comes directly after the first piece of advice for novice authors: Quit now.)

Seis de Mayo (I could get used to this)

Cristina Cordova — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:03:52 -0500

BOOKS & AUTHORS
Keith Gessen and His Sad Young Literary Men

May 6, 2008: Heavy Weather?!

Jimmy Gaines — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:24:28 -0500

Meet Local Filmmaker Jon Springer

Cristina Cordova — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:15:17 -0500

Local filmmaker Jon Springer's new film The Hagstone Demon will be shown as a free sneak preview Thursday, May 8, at the Riverview Theater. The film stars Mark Borchardt, the subject of the Sundance award-winning documentary American Movie, which made him a cult celebrity of the indie film set.

A Sesquicentennial in the Spring of Our Discontent

Rich Goldsmith — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:15:46 -0500

Older generations often talk wistfully of times past - an era when candy was a nickel and hookers cost but sixpence. And with Minnesota's sesquicentennial occurring this year, the temptation to romanticize is pushed even farther, with tales of subzero temperatures, white out conditions, and devouring small children to survive winter's lean times bandied about like so many empowering after-school special style messages delivered by Hillary Duff.

My name is Melinda Jacobs, and I am a Supermodel—NOT!!

Melinda Jacobs — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:09:57 -0500

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a model? Instead of boring you with a long story, I will be as brief as I CAN.

I have modeled clothes for designers and done that fake (I am too sexy for my shoes) deal: Knollwood Mall in the '80s. So, it wasn't Fashion Week in New York... It was still fun to walk the runway with a guy that had to wear a Boy Scout outfit to match my Girl Scout outfit. Why? Because I—at the time—had a huge crush on him.

Starting Out in the Evening

Ann Bauer — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:44:34 -0500

Remember those days when you would wait for your parents to leave the house so you could invite your girl- or boyfriend over for an evening of videos and cheap wine and illicit sex?

Well, here's a funny thing. Those days return, when you're 42 or so. . . .You discover there's a Friday evening coming up. The kids are going to be out -- one at a sleepover, the other doing whatever high school seniors do -- and you plot. You get a DVD from Hollywood and a cheap bottle of wine and think about how you're going to have the house all to yourself.

Cabaret: Tits, Ass, and Monopoly Money

Ann Bauer — Sun, 04 May 2008 00:17:23 -0500

In the 1972 Bob Fosse film Cabaret, an American Sally Bowles, played by Liza Minnelli, falls in love with a rambunctious Englishman who is — as she is — having an affair with her bisexual boss. Whereas in the 1966 stage play Cabaret, it was Sally who was English, her boyfriend who was American, and there was a wholesome subtextual storyline about their elderly landlady's romance with a Jewish fruit merchant.

Cinco de Mayo

Cristina Cordova — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:11:54 -0500

The Corcoran Neighborhood Organization invites you to celebrate Cinco de Mayo today with Kalpulli Ketzal Coatlicue, an Aztec drumming and dance troupe.

6 p.m., Corcoran Park, 3334 20th Ave. S., Minneapolis; free.

Continued advertisement

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Minnesota Fringe reconstructs Romeo and Juliet

That's Why They Play Nine, You Communists: Meet Your First Place Minnesota Twins

Brad Zellar — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:28:29 -0500

^{AP Photo/Hannah Foslien}

I'm not a fair weather fan. Honest to God, I'm not.

Seriously.

I'm not.

May 5, 2008: Dude Weather Mailbag

Jimmy Gaines — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:56:49 -0500

Travels with Mel

Hector E. Ramos-Ramos — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:16:35 -0500

Now that I have been in Scotland for a bit I have begun to notice the great shadow the infamous creator of Braveheart still casts over this hilly northern country. If you venture into any bargain store in Edinburgh or Glasgow you will find many bric-a-bracs aimed at spend-happy tourists. These items range from the relatively funny "kilt beach towel" to the aggravating "William Wallace doll." Now, there's nothing