We’re all for sparking wines this time of year, so are pleased to announce the next TC Uncorked event – focusing on sparkling wines and Champagne.  Uncorked’s patented plan is to offer discovery and info on wines, and to have fun in the process.  So, this time we expect to enjoy the experience, and also to plan for some bubbly gift shopping, once we’ve educated ourselves.  This annual event is co-hosted at Nami Sushi. Nami provides the atmosphere and some light appetizers (it ain’t dinner, kids) of both sushi and hot bites.  Secrets of the City is offering a pair of tickets to one lucky winner!  Enter now by emailing Contests@SecretsoftheCity.com, with the subject line SPARKLING, including your full name in the email.  For the rest of us, it is easy to make plans:  tickets are $39, and space is limited.

Sparkling Wines and Sushi Holiday Event; 7 – 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3; Nami Sushi, 251 First Av. N., Mpls; Tickets $39

Oooo, wait… here’s something I should have put up a day or two ago.

Here’s a game preview from Vikings Gab.

“The Vikings will dominate this game as the Seahawk’s will provide little more than a few speed bumps as resistance.  Home field advantage, nearly at full health, and superior talent spells a victory for the Vikings.”

Seems like a no-brainer. Put money on it.

As for the home field advantage, however, looks like it’s going to be the Metrodome for a while still — which the Vikings aren’t very happy about. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission approved a plan to force them to extend their Metrodome lease by two years.

Meanwhile, between 6 and 16 officers were patrolling the halls of Owatonna High School this week after a fight broke out between white and Somali students. Tension had been building for a couple of weeks, “stemming from a student’s inflammatory paper alleging Somali privilege that was posted on a school blog.”

And in St. Paul, the final candidate for Saint Paul Public Schools superintendent was met with a protest of about 30 high school students yesterday, claiming that North Branch superintendent Deborah Henton “was not supportive of minorities.”

Her argument against same-sex marriage, as we saw early last week, lies strictly on the grounds that marriage is for procreation and, ultimately, for the perpetuation of society and civilization.

The truth is, historically marriage as an institution was more about money and power. It was an economic arrangement. Women were commodities, sold in marriage to the highest bidder in order to secure wealth and strengthen family bonds.

In Ancient Greece a woman whose father died without male heirs was often forced to marry her nearest male relative. So much for Kersten’s theory that same-sex marriage will lead to incestuous marriage as well. Already been done.

Anyhow, if Kersten really believes that marriage should be based strictly on procreation, then she’s probably in favor of annulment based on lack of conception, and she’s likely a huge fan of Henry VIII.

Or maybe she’s just fanning the fires to secure her position as “lightening rod of liberal rage” — a position she claims to enjoy immensely.

The Facts About Swine Flu

[via Strib:] Facing a crippling loss of state health care funds, Hennepin County Medical Center plans to stop seeing uninsured, nonemergency patients [emphasis mine] from other counties, cut 150 to 200 jobs and close two clinics on its downtown campus …

… Hospital officials said that the shutdown next spring of a state program for the indigent, General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), could cut reimbursements to HCMC by as much as $40 million next year and another $50 million in 2011.

Way to go, T-Paw. I hope this is remembered between now and 2012.

Advance Screening, Everybody’s Secret, Wednesday, Dec. 2; Details will be emailed to winners.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Advance Screening, Tuesday, November 24, Details to be communicated to winners via email.