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

Every winter in our fair state, the subtle tang known as desperation permeates the air. Match.com and eHarmony fill with the profiles of Minnesotans scrambling to find someone with whom to warm their long winter's nap before the season's icy grip on the region's nethers prevents any chance of companionship altogether. But this season is different. That subtle tang has become an overwhelming stench wafting from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, and that desperation signals a mightily dangerous time for our cities.