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

BOOKS & AUTHORS
Paul Krugman

New York Times columnist and Princeton economist Paul Krugman could have chosen a better title for his new book than The Conscience of a Liberal, which he cribbed from the late Senator Paul Wellstone. (Wellstone himself was riffing off Barry Goldwater’s 1964 book, The Conscience of a Conservative.) Krugman’s book is less a manifesto of liberal ethics than it is a discourse on practical economics. He takes for granted Wellstone’s moral arguments for socioeconomic equality and concentrates on an empirical defense of liberal policy. Like Wellstone’s book, Krugman’s is unlikely to change conservative minds. But Krugman’s shrewd and accessible arguments give liberal readers a tool set for arguing points themselves. If you agreed with Wellstone but didn’t quite know why, read Krugman and you will. —Matt Bartel

7 p.m., Temple Israel, 2324 Emerson Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-822-4611; free.

Shampoo or Carcinogenic Slop?

Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face, will be reading from her book at the U of M tonight. The effect, probably, will be a chorus of indignant gasps from a congregation of eco-conscious consumers. Malkan’s book chronicles all the harmful chemicals found in everyday cosmetics, like lead in our lipstick, coal tar in our shampoo, and dioxane in baby soap. What the … ? So long as it resides in Minneapolis any such forum must also include Horst Rechelbacher. (Other panelists include Jeanne Rizzo, RN; Jane Houlihan, V.P., Environmental Working Group and architect of the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database; and Lindsay Dahl, coordinator for the Minnesota Healthy Legacy Coalition.) Rechelbacher, of course, is founder of both Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients. Read Hook & Eye. —Christy DeSmith

7 p.m., Mayo Memorial Auditorium, 425 Delaware St. S.E., Minneapolis, 612-624-9459; free, but advanced registration required.

DVD RELEASE
Help!

“So these are the famous Beatles,” says one of the many British stiff-upper-lip types in Help!, their second go-round with director Richard Lester. This ’65 effort concerns the Fab Four on the run from pug-faced Leo McKern, who is a kind of Indian spiritual leader with a Cockney accent, eager to get Ringo’s holy mood ring. Watching Help! makes one marvel at the complexity that was the Beatles—here they’re fresh-faced youngsters eager to tell an incomprehensible joke, race through the London streets, and sing a song. But in just four years they’d become bearded, justifiably frustrated and angry with themselves and the world, and still creating the incredible pop songs that would move the world. —Peter Schilling

DVD Deluxe Edition, available Nov 06, 2007.

FAMILY
World's Biggest Playgroup

I don't write about children-specific events too terribly often. Truth be told, I hold firmly to the notion that art transcends age — that we all interpret according to experience — young or old. Of course, what do I know. I don't even have children. And as I spout my impractical drivel and decry Disneyland, those around me line up for the Worlds Biggest Playgroup. Moms, grab your children and join Babytalk magazine at the Mall of America today for a day of fun activities for you and your children: live children’s entertainment, free Kindermusik classes, and giveaways. Park your stroller (which is also free), and spend the day. Those of you who are particluarly ambitious can get there early (8:45 a.m.) for a one-hour StrollerFit class. Learn how to turn that stroller into a portable fitness machine.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Mall of America, Rotunda–located on the east side of the Mall between Sears and Bloomingdale’s, 60 East Broadway (at the crossroads of Interstate 494 and Highway 77), Bloomington; free.

MUSIC
Toss of the Dice — I'll bet they've never heard that before

Brooklyn band Black Dice is in town this evening, promoting their latest album, Load Blown. "The beats drip and roll, tar-pit voices sing into an oilcan, and the guitars crank like a calliope. Some tunes crackle and burble like submerged television; others bump and click along like a summer jam concert series from another dimension." Well, if it's anything like this fabulous description, I'm there. Whew! Shoal Kodiak will be opening.

7 p.m., SooVAC, 2640 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-871-2263; $10/$15.