January 5, 2010 - January's arrival has some of us thinking about New Year's resolutions.... or cursing the cold. But it has essayist Peter Smith contemplating his own mortality. Mortality, and an old sofa.
December 22, 2009 - Essayist Peter Smith shares a story about one of his favorite Christmas memories… about a man named Mr. Dinklenberg.
December 15, 2009 - Santa Claus is making his list and checking it twice. But essayist Peter Smith says when he was growing up, it didn't matter if he was naughty or nice. Smith came from a huge family, and even Santa had to be practical.
December 14, 2009 - Minnesotans know it's not nice to call someone "Minnesota nice..." It's a synonym for phoniness and passive aggression. And Minnesota playwright Syl Jones says he's uncovered the roots of Minnesota nice. He traces it all back to the Scandinavian immigrants who settled here more than a century ago. Jones argues his discovery goes a long way toward explaining all kinds of strange Minnesota phenomena.
December 10, 2009 - Democrats in the U-S Senate appear to be moving toward a health reform bill that would not include a government-run "public option" insurance program. Under the tentative compromise, the federal government would instead negotiate with private insurers to provide non-profit health insurance plans. The compromise would also allow people aged 55 to 64 to "buy into" Medicare. But even if the Senate approves the deal, it would still need to be reconciled with the House-passed version of the bill, which includes a public option. Minnesota DFL Congressman Keith Ellison is an outspoken supporter of the public option, and he joins MPR’s Cathy Wurzer to discuss the subject.
December 8, 2009 - With a major blizzard bearing down on us, it's time for motorists across the state to pause and review their cold weather driving techniques. Essayist Peter Smith designed this refresher course.
October 23, 2009 -
October 2, 2009 - If they don't advance to the playoffs, this weekend will be the last time the Minnesota Twins play baseball under the inflatable roof of the Metrodome. Next season they get to play under the sky in their fancy new outdoor ballpark... It's progress, perhaps, but but the still dome holds a lot of nostalgia for Twins fans, including Minnesota playwright Kevin Kling.
September 22, 2009 - And no one's denying the tough months ahead. In all, the district estimates as many as 58-hundred students in Minneapolis will need to find a new school to attend next year, once this plan is in place.
September 15, 2009 - The students have returned to liberal arts college campuses across the region. And commentator Peter Smith says that means across the region, thousands of alumni are secretly wishing they could return too.