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

During Gov. Pawlenty's state of the state address, in a nod to the era of post-Obama bipartisanship, he made a point to mention that "...today, we're not Democrats. We're not Republicans. We're Minnesotans."

The Defenestrator had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Minneapolis' top executive on the eve of announcing his reelection campaign for a wide-ranging chat focusing on the future of the city and what steps he's taking to help Minneapolis thrive despite economic times that could perhaps best be described as Winehousian.

Today's launch of the new Republican "issue ad" blaming DFLers for Minnesotans being asked to sacrifice manhood and innocence alike whilst pumping merrily away at the gas station is just the latest chapter in a textbook Nora Ephron romance. You see, it always starts with the title characters loathing one another. And you'd be hard pressed to find more animosity and revulsion than early in the legislative session. Much like Harry and Sally, our own Tim Pawlenty and the state legislature started off on the

The status quo is almost always a warm, comforting feeling. No matter how often people complain about Minnesota's interminable winters, or Cyndy Brucato's mummy-like visage staring soullessly from KSTP evening newscasts, eternally hungering for the blood of Amy Hockert, they would still be profoundly disturbed these constants were

Sex is the great equalizer, for does not the rich man conduct his doggy-style in much the same way as the poor man? Granted, the rich man conducts his to the tune of $5,000 per night while the poor man's might've cost him a bottle of Strawberry Hill at the liquor store down the block, but in the end, both situations result in guttural noises and a tattered web of ego-salving lies.

For those of you lulled into complacency by auspicious recent events such as Britney's brief flirtation with lucidity, it's important to note that, not only is the entertainment industry still pumping out fucking loons at a heretofore unheard of pace, but our politicians are providing ample evidence of a world view so profoundly divorced from reality that it's likely

Like Jabba the Hutt, whose only purpose was to give George Lucas an excuse to put Princess Leia in a slave bikini, this year’s $1 billion budget deficit seems only to exist to further divide a legislature already spoiling for a fight. And much like the epic struggle between Empire and the Rebellion, the battles are pretty damn fun to watch, but the fallout is pretty painful for