Guyana Tragedy Anniversary

Yesterday was the anniversary of the Guyana Tragedy, AKA the Jonestown mass suicide.

I don't have a lot to say about it apart from "What an awful and sad event."

Posted by: Kari Lucin, Daily Globe on 11/19/2008 at 3:47 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Warning: Roads Icy Near Lismore

According to chatter on the scanner, the roads are very icy near Leota/Lismore.

Also, the frost on the ground has made the city sidewalks in Worthington icy. Be careful when you're out walking or driving even in town, and watch out for ice patches.

Posted by: Kari Lucin, Daily Globe on 11/19/2008 at 9:15 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Strib Columnist Talks Luverne; I Talk Jackson

The Star Tribune's online columnist/blogger James Lileks wrote up a little salute to the town of Luverne today, along with a few other small Minnesota cities.

But he doesn't seem to have gotten a lot of detail about Luverne, which is a lovely little town with a cool old movie theatre (and yes, it is where the Burns documentary premiered).

If I get a chance tomorrow I'll do a little more rummaging around and see if I can find more Luvernian info online or in the Globe's archives.

Or perhaps you loyal readers can lend a hand, regarding Luverne and your own hometowns.

What do you like about your town? What about it would surprise people if they knew?

I consider my hometown to be Jackson, Minnesota, and I love how the river curves into the town, giving it scenic hills and views you can't find in many other places in southwest Minnesota. I love how friendly the people are, and how they smile or wave at you when you walk down the street.

I love the little fruit/veggie stand on the outskirts of town, where you can buy the best watermelon, and the kitchen store where you can buy the coolest kitchen gadgets you wish you used more often. I love Coffee Choices, the hometown coffeeshop where they actually remember what you like even when you moved out of town and don't get to go there as often anymore.

I love the funky little Catholic church's cool modernist architecture and the way the open bell tower at Our Savior's (where my dad is pastor) reaches up to touch the sky.

Heck, Jackson's just a cool town.

What do you like about your town? What about it would surprise people if they knew?

Posted by: Kari Lucin, Reporter on 11/18/2008 at 5:18 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink

Blending Two Cultures: Soviet Bunker Theme Park

Sometimes blending two cultural ideas works beautifully. Here, for example, are traditional Japanese kimonos created using traditional African fabrics, and they are beautiful and extremely exotic.

Even two similar cultures may not mesh well, when the circumstances are bad. Witness Lithuania, which was taken over and occupied by the old USSR. Now that the occupation is over, people have opted to make something positive out of it.

Thus, the strangest theme park ever, which allows you to experience the fun, wonderful, happy life of satisfied, loving Soviets in 1984. At least, you better think it's fun, wonderful, happy, satisfying and loving or they shoot you on the way out.

Okay, so it's not that realistic.

Posted by: Kari Lucin, Daily Globe on 11/18/2008 at 4:59 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink