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Mashed potato wrestling?! Where?!

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Mashed potato wrestling, as practiced out west. Bring it, South Dakota! We’re ready for you.

By Jay Gabler , TC Daily Planet
July 22, 2008

You know that we’re in the midst of the Minneapolis Aquatennial, but did you know that Polka Days are coming up this weekend in New Ulm? What if you felt like watching a minnow race...or a turtle race? What are “Woodies on the Water,” and why have they been celebrated in Duluth for ten years? Where, oh where, can a person find a good Swedish Coffee Party these days?

You may grumble about the potholes still remaining in your street, but once you take a gander at the Festival and Event Guide at the state-sponsored Explore Minnesota Tourism site, you won’t be able to say that the folks down at the Capitol have completely squandered your tax dollars. The site’s search filters are a little unwieldy and the numerous results are returned in alphabetical order—but that means that you’re apt to stumble upon unexpected events. Maybe you could have guessed that Minnesota was home to a Finn Fest or two, but the hot metal pours and eggstravaganzas will take you by surprise.

Jay Gabler is assistant editor of the Daily Planet.

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BOOKS | "Skirmish": Bitterly funny poetry from Dobby Gibson

By Jay Gabler , TC Daily Planet

To be honest, I’ve never been an avid reader of poetry. I have nothing against poems, but for some reason my mind wants words on a page to present themselves as prose, and balks at taking them seriously when they’re organized in rhymed couplets, sonnet form, or—God forbid—free verse. When verse is set to music, I can generally handle it better. One reason I found Minneapolis poet Dobby Gibson’s new collection, Skirmish, so enjoyable is that his combination of mordant wit and bittersweet longing so recalls the lyrics of my favorite songwriter, Bob Dylan. MORE »

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Taking it to the streets -- or the meeting rooms

By James Sanna , TC Dailiy Planet

Two opportunities to speak out on budgets, local and state:

The Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout and the Welfare Rights Committee are organizing a campaign to demand a “People’s Bailout” of increased and extended aid to the poor, protection of public education funding, and no layoffs. The campaign kicks off with a protest at the state capitol on Tuesday, January 6 at noon, during the opening session of the state legislature. MORE »