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Living through century of history

An email recently arrived from a lady named Paula Gorgey, who is a fan of my work. We corresponded a bit and I learned that Paula is 100 years old and had grown up in Hungary. Sensing a good story, I asked if she would consent to a phone interview. Much to my delight, she said yes. “I was born in Budapest on August 24, 1925, just a few years after the Great War,” Paula began. “My father was an officer on a submarine during the war, and it’s a great point of pride that my grandson is currently serving on a nuclear submarine based in Hawaii.” I asked Paula about her ...

Don’t despair, baseball season around the corner

The early 20th century baseball star Rogers Hornsby was asked what he did in the off season. “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” As winter drags on, we can all appreciate Hornsby’s sentiment. As I write, a 40 mph wind is blowing in below zero temps. Whatever charm winter had, (“Oh look, the mosquitoes are gone”), faded with the passing of the Christmas season. Like the weather, the news has also been bad. The divisions in our nation are wide. So, I’ve decided to write ...

Minnesota: 50 things to like about the North Star State

In recent weeks Minnesota has made national headlines, and it’s caused negative impressions among many people who’ve never visited our state. I want to respond by listing everything I can think of that’s good about it. I can’t do that because it would take the entire editorial page. I’ll settle for listing 50 of the most famous things. For starters we have Twins, Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves and Lynx. We have the Mayo Clinic, Fort Snelling, Minnehaha Falls, and the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Then there’s Red Wing Shoes, the Watkins spice factory in Winona, and the Schwan Food ...

What’s missing from ICE conversation? Dialogue

Right now, Minnesota is in the national spotlight, and not for good reasons. First, because our state government failed to stop massive fraud. Then because federal immigration enforcement drew national attention, protests, and tragedy. These operations removed dangerous criminals from our streets, including people convicted of violent crimes who were in the country illegally. They also resulted in the death of Renee Good. Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear two very different stories. Some say Good acted on a moral obligation to oppose federal actions. Others say an ICE officer ...

The purse

Astronomers tell us that somewhere out in the vastness of space there are curious objects known as black holes. Formed during the collapse of super-huge stars, these things are so massive and their gravity so intense that nothing — not even light or Harry Houdini — can escape the clutches of their immense gravity. When I first heard about black holes, I got that funny feeling called déjà vu. This is because I thought that they were describing my wife’s purse. If women are an enigma wrapped in a mystery, then their purses fall into the realm of the unknowable. As any married ...

Anniversary of Star Trek brings back basement memories

Sometimes I’m surprised by parade units in the Tournament of Roses Parade and Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. It might be a band from the Upper Midwest, a new giant balloon, a colorful float or some other attraction. There’s usually at least one surprise each year. Earlier this month the Rose Parade included a float commemorating one of my favorite childhood television shows. It’s the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, 60 years since the Enterprise first appeared on television screens. I was a big fan of Star Trek reruns in the late 1970s. I was a Trekkie. I had the Enterprise play ...