The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

And it looks like Mark Kennedy is running away from his buddy, George W. Bush. He couldn't be more in bed with the Bush agenda if he tried. The Klobuchar campaign can save a lot of ad production money if they just run his 2004 commercial.

This sounds good.\

Ditto on the floating body. Maybe she just fell over the edge or got hit by a car or something. Freaky part is she was there for three days before anyone noticed. I was down there at that exact time Sunday and didn't even notice. Ewww.

I took "north shore" to mean the north shore of Lake Calhoun or Isles. If they'd meant up Duluth-way, it would've been capitalized as "North Shore."

Speaking of the MN wines -- I have never been a fan of port, but last weekend at Barbette I tried the Hastings Reserve from Alexis Bailly Vinyard and really enjoyed it.

jderusha- (I know you are doing your job and that you are sensitive but) Is it difficult to talk to parents and other family right after a tragedy? I would feel like and asshole.

It's awful, Reader. The only thing that made this phone call easier was the fact that the family contacted us over the weekend, trying to get the word out about their daughter being missing.

Generally, I hate contacting family. But sometimes they want to talk. It's a way of making their loved one more than just a name in the newspaper. They get to say what they want, instead of what the police say.

Very interesting, thanks jderusha! Keep up the good, empathetic work!

Not sure we've ever researched that issue. We do know that people in Minnesota want their news reporters to be "polite." So I never stick a camera in someone's face. I always go to knock on the door, and the photographer stays in the car with the camera.

And the "how did you feel" question is a silly question. How did you find out? When did you last see (or talk to) them? What's your favorite memory? What do you think really happened here? Those seem to be better questions to me.

Oops--if the above links don't work try this one:

http://www.communitywalk.com/map/11788#10193;Pa010744.3Z7h8-92.2cU\0

I hate the "How do you feel" question. There's a story I read years ago where the world is ending and the last two people are standing on a mountain top with the waters rising around them. One is a reporter, and he puts his microphone into the face of the other survivor, saying, Well, here it is, the end of the world. How do you feel?"

The other man thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs. "You know," he says, "I feel great."

It'soneof thereasons can't stand Oprah as an interviewer. The only question she knows how to ask is "How do you feel" and variations thereof. "Since you got your sex change, do you feel any different?" "How does it feel to know that your father is a crack addict?" "This new makeup willmake you feel great!"

But, then, Oprah is woth a billion dollars, andI am worth ten, so maybe I should revise my interviewingapproach.

hey wine lovers  heres a new site i've been checking out.
http://wine.woot.com/
pretty tight if you ask me. seems to be about 1/3 off actual price. goes quick.