Secrets of the City

And the best of the many, many reenactments.

Oh hell yeah, first post after Max on an open thread. It’s like touching God. Or touching God’s nads at least.

OK! There was talk about baconing at 112 Eatery this Saturday, but circumstances have conspired so that I have to postpone until May 24.

There’s a reservation for up to 9, at 8.30pm., May 24, just for the record.

And no, I don’t skateboard. The very idea!

Mmmm… lobster-brie eggs.

Charlie ha a lot of teeth for a Brit.

Heh.

Really?

Last call for the Lowry Bridge. You’ve got two hours and change. Seems like everything has been coming apart at the seams since… oh… 2001 or so.

joyride, did you ever hear about the st. cloud state criminology student who claimed the killings/drownings/whatever always happened during a specific moon cycle?

I did not. I remember a few years ago there was the mention of this being the work of a serial murderer(I think it was a professor somewhere), but it was in and out of the news in less than a day or two.

Crazy, crazy.

I changed my route to work today so I could go over the Lowry bridge one last time. All the newsies were there, in the SA lot and in the parking lot for Tony Js (a Greenie with your breakfast, anyone?).

It was the last metal grate bridge we will see in these parts. I remember a similar bridge in Indianapolis everyone called “the Singing Bridge” becuase of the hum created by tires on metal grate.

My dad took me over the Indy bridge on his moter scooter once — it was cool to look down, and see the White River through the bridge.

i burned my bacon this morning. it was very sad.

If you believe even for a nanosecond that there is a I94 serial killer you should be euthanized. Your place can be filled in with a wet bag of sand.

when the lowry bridge closed a couple years ago, didn’t crime noticeably drop in northeast? (am i making that up?…i honestly don’t remember.) so i’m looking forward to that.

Yay for Baconing postponement!! I can attend on 5/24.

Bacon bacon bacon!!!

If I’d heard “a bridge collapsed in Minneapolis,” before I knew which one, I would have assumed it was the Lowry Ave bridge. I swear you can feel it shudder even if your car is the only one on it.

The serial killer theory seems as overcooked as ceci’s bacon, and twice as sad. Texas sharpshooting if I ever saw it.

Also, and most importantly, I’m having a BLT for lunch.

I thought the KSTP story was frightening.

mmmm, BLT

That’s the first option for my lunch. TGI Fridays for Admin’s Day! Hells. Yeah.

Show of hands of people that bake their bacon as opposed to griddle fry it . . .

Yeah, I heard Kristi Piehl promoting the story on KQRS this morning. Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte don’t sound like crackpots. They’re former NYPD detectives. Sure, they might be looking for a book deal, but I doubt they’re lying about the connections they’ve found.

Show of hands of people that bake their bacon as opposed to griddle fry it . . .

Blasphemy!!!

I thought the KSTP story was frightening.

Did they speak in spooky voices?
Then follow it up with a story about Bigfoot?
Then an update from Crystal Lake about canoodling nubile camp counselors mysteriously disappearing?

I’m with the spaceman, if you’re cooking more than 2 strips, a wire rack in a sheet pan in the oven is the only way to go.

Heretics! MNSpeak is filled with bacon heretics!

And the baking v. frying war is about to begin. Could get ugly in here today.

I like turkey bacon. Gooble gooble!

When I heard of a bridge collapse near the U, I thought for sure the Washington bridge finally fell.

I will miss the Lowry bridge, though I haven’t used it in years. Used to be a good route from my first TC apartment in the NW ‘burbs to the Polish Palace. Driving past the Hell’s Angels house was always a bonus.

Just saw a Taco Bell commercial where a hot girl at the bar attracts a bunch of men with the Bacon-Something Chalupa in her purse. Something tells me that would work well with this crowd.

I put it in a cast iron skillet with a paper towel so I don’t burn my arm when I turn it.

My grandmother would save the drippings in a jar and store it in the fridge next to the goose fat.

I think people are going to try to kill tinnie for that comment.

douglas, I’m assuming you like your bacon limp rather than firm and crispy?

wait, did I accidently end up in the bj thread?

Richard “Bo” Dietl was also a former NYC Detective.

Maybe it’s Dildo wielding Lesbionics from Stillwater Prison.

I wake and then bake… the bacon.

Frying is too messy. Baking cooks it more evenly.

Although, regardless of cooking method, it’s always Hell-to-the-Yes for bacon.

I’m sick and whiney today. That’s my overshare for the day.

alie, I put my drippings in an old apple sauce jar in the fridge — except last time I accidently poured off the hot grease into the actual apple sauce jar.

that was some good applesauce.

Bake bacon?

Last week, it was sitting in the shower.

Weird I tell ya!

My Mammaw saved bacon grease for cookin’, too, and didn’t bother with the refrigerator.

I’m designing a Vodka Martini with a bacon-stuffed olive. I’m going to call it a Max Sparber.

I put my drippings in an old apple sauce jar in the fridge

Again with the bj thread resurfacing?

My bacon burrito is nuking as I type. I made a bunch on Sunday and froze them. I’ve been eating them all week!

In the spirit of an Open Thread, I’m pumped about this.

I’m with tinnie on the Turkey bacon. Although it’s not my first choice, I’ve had some pretty tasty turkey bacon.

error codes are sweet

error codes are sweet

Never you mind how I like my bacon!

Bake bacon?

Last week, it was sitting in the shower.

I’ll have you know that I do in fact bake my bacon. I can get it extra crispy and it cooks all the way through that way. Easier cleanup too.

And I remained standing for my entire shower this morning.

Baking bacon is a common practice in restaurants.

Well, there’s a guy skateboarding around town looking like you. He looked good, btw! Skateboarders who use it as transportation usually do. Very graceful.

I wake and then bake… the bacon.

Just keep a George Foreman Grill by your bed. Then you can have bacon in bed.

Stupid internet. Here’s what I’m pumped about.
http://pd.startribune.com/sp?aff=3&keywords=cooper%20theater

Save that bacon grease for biodiesel, because it looks like Minnesota’s going to B20.

Our office meeting room overlooks The West End. Should be interesting to see what other stores pop up.

Hmmm…I must be too young to remember the Cooper.

Lowry bridge is scary on a scooter. I did it once and am very glad I’ll never have to do it again.

Re: bacon grease. Be careful. I was just reading how some of the chemicals put into bacon now days will make your stored bacon grease rancid. Best to use all natural bacon if you are going to keep the grease.

My coworkers were telling me in the break room how their grandparents ate bacon grease sammich as a special treat. Back in the Depresion era.

huh, Kerasotes is really making a push into this area. Too bad they have such a dumb name.

(and I hear ya, kc)

My Mammaw saved bacon grease for cookin’, too, and didn’t bother with the refrigerator.

My grandparents were east German, so they sometimes liked to spread chilled goose or animal drippings on bread.

tinnie, someone was just telling me, and they weren’t old at all, that their mom would make them lunch sandwiches with a quarter inch of lard slabs between two pieces of white bread and nothing else.

I cannot f’ing believe that.

Mmmmm deep fat fried lard sandwich…

Best news of the morning: there will be no Blade IV>

K peeps, let’s not ruin my love of bacon with all of your animal fat sammich stories – yuck!

But, I did watch Top Chef and they made this miso-bacon wrapped shrimp recipe which I can’t wait to try. It looks fabulous.

“someone was just telling me, and they weren’t old at all, that their mom would make them lunch sandwiches with a quarter inch of lard slabs between two pieces of white bread and nothing else.”

That’s just tragic. Everybody knows that yer supposed to mix the lard with cane sugar or karo.

I totally have Blade sitting at home on my coffee table right now!!!

Uh oh. We’re italo-broken.

We wanted to try the miso-bacon shrimp too, Cat.

ah, forget shrimp — let’s stay local!

Grab a squirrel from Loring Park and wrap that little fatty in bacon, maybe a mini apple in his mouth for good measure, and bake him up.

I bring you Yummy Miso-bacon wrapped shrimp

Miso Syrup:
1 cup shiro (white) miso
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups mirin
1/2 lb bacon

Miso Syrup:
In saucepot, cook miso, syrup, wine vinegar and mirin together. Whisk together and reduce on low heat until thick and glossy. Meanwhile, lay bacon on silpat or parchment paper overlapping and facing same direction. Lay another parchment on top and place smaller sheet pan on top (weigh down with saute pans). Bake at 375 degrees for about 11 minutes. When bacon is crispy, take out without removing weights.

Remove bacon from pan and lay on new sheet pan with parchment. Heavily glaze the bacon with the miso syrup and bake 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool and cut into even long strips.

Shrimp:
4 cloves garlic
1T ginger, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2t sambal, chili garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined

Mix together all ingredients and toss with shrimp.
Let sit for at least one hour then grill.

Don’t knock the squirrels, man!

Is anyone doing anything exciting this weekend, non-bacon-related? We’ve got a babysitter Saturday night and are trying to figure out what to do.

Dang – forgot the best part of the recipe.

Wrap the dang shrimp with the bacon strips and eat every. single. one.

go to the Cloud Cult show at First Ave.

I’ll sell you my tickets and sight line seating for $250.

This doesn’t help your Saturday plans, Jason, but I’m going to a Greek Orthodox Easter thing on Sunday. mmmm, roasted lamb

“Is anyone doing anything exciting this weekend, non-bacon-related? We’ve got a babysitter Saturday night and are trying to figure out what to do.”

We’ve been going to the Roller Garden on Sunday mornings for the adult skate — unfortunately on Saturday’s it’s all Christian Contemporary music… I guess that attracts the holy rollers.

“Saturday’s”

I can’t believe I just did an apostrophe plural.

:takes own life:

PwrGeek – I read that as “I”m going to a Geek Orthodox Easter thing”…

I was thinking you really take your job seriously.

Benjamin Linus is a badass.

mahna mahna

Why is it things that would be normally not very funny with an American accent are like eleventy billion times funny with a British accent?

Is anyone doing anything exciting this weekend, non-bacon-related? We’ve got a babysitter Saturday night and are trying to figure out what to do.

Personally, I’m going to see my favorite band play at the *gasp* 400 Bar. I happen to be in the band, jason, but I’m not going to highlight that fact because then there will be a double-whammy:

1. People complaining about my shameless self-promotion.
2. People complaining about how horrible the 400 Bar is.

Okay. Have at it.

Benjamin Linus is a badass.

And Kate is so very, very, very, very hot.

Apparently, someone actually drank an Edina Screamer last night.

Wait, Nateek are you playing at the 400 on Saturday? I’m (probably) going to be there! What is your band name? My friend’s colleagues are in one of the bands that night.

Benjamin Linus is a badass.

And Kate is so very, very, very, very hot.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Was that some bad ass shit he unleashed or what? What do you think is the reason he can’t kill Widmore? I say because he’s Ben’s constant. The rest of this season is going to be awesome. It’s a race between Ben tracking down Penny and Widmore finding the island (which he needs Penny to do since she seems to have some clue where it might be). !!!!!!

I’m in a band called Kubla Khan. I believe we’re in the middle slot. I’ll be the lead singer/piano guy with the gray hair and sweating problem.

Mpls Simpleton: “If you believe even for a nanosecond that there is a I94 serial killer you should be euthanized. Your place can be filled in with a wet bag of sand.”

Oh My God! It’s you! You’re the killer!

We go months without a mention of Kubla Khan and then two come along at once.

Serendipity.

Can I just say the sound of packing tape being unrolled is like nails on a chalkboard?

oh shit is it really friday?

I decree a stately pleasure dome!

kevin, total badass. And I think the show’s going to end up showing that Ben saves the world. Good theory on them being each other’s constant.

I have an air tight alibi

Alex was hotter. Sigh.

This is kind of weird: When you log on to LinkedIn, there’s a little box in the corner of the screen that lists another LinkedIn member who you might know and want to connect with. LinkedIn thinks that I might know Max Sparber. The thing is, I don’t know Max. At least not in real life. So how does LinkedIn know that I’m a MNspeak reader and occasional commenter?

We go months without a mention of Kubla Khan and then two come along at once.

In my [flimsy]defense: first mention was NOT by name and second one was in direct response to a question.

That said, what a fantastic band! And such a fantastic venue! At such a fantastic price! How can you go wrong? T-shirts and CDs available!

And we play weddings and corporate gigs as well! Holy crap!

joyride…nofuckenway.

kate is dreamy

STOP TALKING ABOUT LOST!!! Some of us haven’t started the current season yet. We just got caught up with Season 3 and will start watchin the current season online soon.

I was just starting to get a crush on Alex, especially since she’s been showing more cleavage. Have you noticed how much LOST shows cleavage? Even going back to season one!

I got the constant theory from a message board last night, but I’m totally on board with it. But I don’t buy the Ben saves the world theory because I don’t see him or Widmore as being “good guys”. The guy bluffed on his own daughter’s life for pete’s sake! I also don’t think it will ever come to save the world.

Yesfuckenway!

I’m torn about Kate. On the one hand, she’s taken on the bumbling idiot role, and her facial expressions annoy me, yet, she’s awfully pretty when just sitting there.

joyride, i’m going to key your car.

kc, don’t worry. there’s more than enough that’s about to happen so you’ll forget everything we’ve said here. prepare to be mindfucked at the end of season 3.

STOP TALKING ABOUT LOST!!! Some of us haven’t started the current season yet. We just got caught up with Season 3 and will start watchin the current season online soon.

I wouldn’t worry too much. Even those of us who are watching it don’t know what the f is going on anyway…

Awesome! Now all the the other key marks will have new friends. Apparently nobody likes a Geo. =[

A geo, huh? That’s punishment enough.

key it enough and it will turn into an art car.

Thanks for spoilers, Kevin! I was so bummed I couldn’t watch it last night.

Sayid is the hot one.

I thought the producers’ comments on the first half of season three were interesting to read, but I won’t go into them here for kc’s sake. Like everyone else said, you’re about to get mindfucked anyway.

The strangest thing about Lost, to me anyway, was when they starting building a light rail.

Is It Lunch TIme Yet!

That’s how you get Found, JACC.

And to the Cardinal Bar…

Is It Lunch TIme Yet!

The other strange thing about LOST was when Saloth Sar’s soup recipe’s started showing up.

Where did they get the ingredients?

Sayid is the hot one.

For you Sayid fans, there’s a waiter at Taste of India in SLP who looks uncannily like Sayid. It must be intentional. Someone else go and see if I’m nuts. It might actually be him.

“For you Sayid fans, there’s a waiter at Taste of India in SLP who looks uncannily like Sayid. It must be intentional. Someone else go and see if I’m nuts. It might actually be him.“

They only hired him because he once tortured the wife of the owner. True story.

Back to Jason’s question about Saturday, other than Cloud Cult, anything cool going on? The Guthrie is sold out. There’s the art crawl, but that involves moving from place to place. What else?

Runaway tag…

uh, is anyone else really excited for harold and kumar?

because I am.

STOP TALKING ABOUT LOST!!! Some of us haven’t started the current season yet.

And some us just don’t care. It’s like watching paint dry.

Does anyone else think that Taste of India and Best of India should merge (Best Taste of India) and just dominate the St. Louis Park Indian food market?

God Damn it! How many tags do I have to close today!

I heard that NPH has an expanded role in HK2.

The strangest thing about Lost, to me anyway, was when they starting building a light rail.

Wait, so your theory is that the Cato Institute replaced The Hanso Foundation? Brilliant!

what would NPH do?

HE WOULD TAKE ME TO FUCKING SEE HIS MOVIE THAT’S WHAT.

The actor who plays Sayid was in Planet Terror. See that movie, and you’ll no longer think of him as hot…

I guess the answer is “NO”, kc!

I BRING YOU

***drum roll***

BACON CUPS

The keyboard players in my band

The Theater in the Round looke promising. But they cancelled this weekend’s performances due to sickness.

Any other good local theater? Anything I should see?

Pulp Fiction Muppets The video is charming, but the sound is NSFW.

You could try Dancing With Contagion at the Open Eye Figure Theatre, KC.

The Magic Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is playing at the children’s theater. It’s another great show.

Oooh. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. That brings back memories.

Observation:
It’s weird to see school closings or letting kids out early because of snow.
It’s almost May for gawd’s sake.

On another note:

I went to Surdyks to grab some beer for dinner tonight. There I sampled some stunningly delicious Belgian beers from a shockingly beautiful young woman.

I mean if you’re into that sort of thing… the beer and the girls and whatnot…

I just sent an image via a Word document. May the Lord clear my history at an inopportune time.

Jason: we decided on Exit Strategy at the Mixed Blood Theater. Review here.

Today is turning out to be a MUCH, MUCH, better day that I was expecting. I may have to stop fro a drink after work.

I mean if you’re into that sort of thing… the beer and the girls and whatnot…

I don’t know how you expect our internet marriage to survive if you are going to blatantly cheat right on my screen.

No fear mb. Why would I go out for burgers when I have internet steak already?

she just happened to be a stunning young woman handing me delicious free beer. that’s all.

We’ll talk about this more at our imaginary home. Unless you plan to stay out virtually all night again.

Vacation coming up here…anyone still at work have suggestions for some good reads?

You’ll know by how savory the imaginary dinner that I’m making you and by how often I electronically tell you how beautiful you are that I feel pretty bad about the whole situation.

Would you like e-waffles in the morning?

The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman.

I prefer jpg.french toast.

With a side of bacon no doubt.

mmmmm…. .gifbrowns.

Oh! And htmlettes.

My summer reading is being bundled by the theme: Books I Can’t Believe I Haven’t Read Yet Considering How Many Times I’ve Said I Was Going to Read Them.

It’s quite a list.

I just finished “The World According to Garp.” Now onto “Life of Pi” and then “The Kite Runner.”

Three very good books; Garp is among my favorite books of all time.

What did you think about it, all in all?

Well. A little mixed.

My favorite book of all time is “A Prayer for Owen Meany,” so much so that I named my cat Owen. So Irving is near and dear to my heart.

For some reason, I just hadn’t felt compelled to read Garp. By the time I did, my expectations were a bit off.

No doubt it’s a great book. But it didn’t jazz me quite the way I had expected.

I just finished Ham on Rye. Different and entertaining.

One more Garp thought: compared to Owen M. I might not have liked it as much, but upon further review, I’d be hard pressed to name many pieces of fiction I liked more than Garp.

You should read my own fiction. I’m a total Irving wannabe almost by accident.

Garp sung to me stylistically; I like me some cynical prose and absurd people and situations. But it also had a good heart. It is a very Seventies book, but I love it just the same.

Although I do also love A Prayer For Owen Meanie. Garp just clicked for me, somehow.

I would absolutely read your fiction, Nateek.

I would absolutely read your fiction, Nateek.

I just finished the manuscript for my first book last month. It will be published this October. But it’s non-fiction and quite “professional.” Now that it’s done, I have a major hankering to write outlandish fiction with no intended audience.

I re-read some of my fiction from a year ago and it doesn’t seem fit for anyone else’s eyes. That said, I would love to have a MNspeak writer’s group get together every so often for pints and reading/reviews. Are there other fiction writers in the group? That would be pretty cool.

I don’t exactly write fiction, but I do tell long, outlandish lies about my life.

There’s a difference?

Between a work of fiction and a fraudulent memoir? I guess not; I think the latter is a subgenre of the former.

“Are there other fiction writers in the group? That would be pretty cool.”

You know this, but any opportunity for shameless self promotion: my novel Mudville will be out in April 2009, by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

I’ve always refused to drive across the Lowry bridge since I was little. That bridge has freaked me out to no end.

I’m writing a memoir about my time as an alcoholic/drug abusing 1/2 Native American in the foster care system who survived the
Holocaust. I think people will find such a believable tale refreshing.

Bixby, I think you meant to say your time as an alcoholic/drug abusing 1/2 Native American stripper in the foster care system who survived the Holocaust. You left out the best part.

1. Prayer for Owen Meany is my favorite book of all time. Hands. Down. I read it at least every 15 months or so.
2. I would totally get together for a writers group. I’ve been severely slacking on writing a couple of ideas I’ve had (one recent, one for damn near ten years) and would like to be pushed a bit by other writers
3. Bixby, transexual hooker and you’ve got a winner.

I would also be up for a mnspeak writers group.

Fucking weather.

Fucking weather.

Not really. Freeze your ass off doing that outside today.

Hey, I’m sick. Any one want two free tickets to the Mixed Blood Theater tonight? First person to contact me @ kassie at kassiechurch dot net gets them

Freeze your ass off doing that outside today.

Global Warming!

weather’s great! what’s wrong with 90 degrees and 5% humidity. oh, wait, is this AZSpeak or MNSpeak?

Global Warming!

Not very smart!

Bixby, I think you meant to say your time as an alcoholic/drug abusing 1/2 Native American stripper in the foster care system who survived the Holocaust. You left out the best part.

Okay, really, I think the stripper thing is just a tad bit difficult to believe. It was all totally believable until you had to go and add the stripper part, Kurtis. Good grief.