Visitors to Minneapolis

Here's some tips on seeing the beautiful Twin Cities
by Charlie Leck

I was with an old friend yesterday. He and I worked together back when I was with the Bureau of National Affairs. Now, nearly 40 years later, he heads a large and respected company in Atlanta. He and his wife are coming up to the Twin Cities in October. It will be her first trip here. His wife has always wanted to visit our extraordinary art museums and the Guthrie Theatre. It's a 40^th wedding anniversary trip for them. Unfortunately, it is precisely when I'll be visiting my grandchildren in Chicago. Nevertheless, he asked for some tips on what to do. I thought you might like to peek at some of the ideas I gave him.

He took my advice and immediately canceled the hotel reservations he had and booked himself into the Chambers Hotel in Minneapolis. This is a very unusual hotel owned by a good acquaintance of ours. He's poured his soul into it and his extraordinary, mind-blowing art collection as well. The concept combines an art museum with a small, comfortable hotel. What a perfect place to stay when their trip here revolves around art anyway. The service at the hotel will be magnificent and The Chambers Kitchen is also one of the finest spots in Minnesota to dine. Mind you, none of the experience is inexpensive, but my friend said he could afford it. If I were visiting Minneapolis, this is the hotel in which I would choose to stay.

I arranged tickets for them to see a play at the Guthrie Theatre. This is one of the world's finest theatre companies and its production facility is considered the finest in the entire world. There are four theatres within the building and there are also two restaurants within the facility that provide an opportunity to dine before the various productions. I made arrangements for them at The Cue before the play. They'll enjoy that. Of it our local paper has said: "Cue is one production that genuinely merits that greatest of all Minnesota theater traditions, the standing ovation."

The two of them love art, so I've recommended all three wonderful museums in Minneapolis:
(1) The Minneapolis Institute of Art;
(2) The Walker Art Center; and
(3) The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota.
They'll have two full days for doing the museums and that may not be enough time to do justice to these three fantastic places, so I recommended them in the order listed here. If the weather is good, I suggested they include a leisurely walk through the sculpture garden at the Walker Art Center.

They really won't have time for more but, if they did, I'd suggest a slow drive along Summit Avenue in Saint Paul and another along Grand Avenue, just a block south. Then I'd also suggest they hire a cabbie and ask him to drive them around the five basic lakes in Minneapolis (Cedar, Lake of the Isles, Calhoun, Harriet, and Hiawatha). There are 21 lakes within the city limits of Minneapolis. Again, if the weather is good, a stroll down the Nicollet Mall, right in the heart of Minneapolis, is also a treat. On Thursdays a really attractive Farmer's Market sets up on the mall.

My sister-in-law owns an interesting, unique and enjoyable little gift shop just outside of Minneapolis, in Saint Louis Park. If they were in a shopping mood, they could go visit Shorty's Loft and drop our names and take a walk around Excelsior and Grand. My friend shares my passion for golf, so I'd arrange a visit to The Minikahda Club, a very private and very historic golf club that sits on Lake Calhoun and on the western edge of Minneapolis, on the way out to Saint Louis Park

I wish I could be in town to tour this couple around and show them the indescribable beauty of both Minneapolis and Saint Paul. I'm betting they have a great time anyway.

If they had lots of time, here are some of the things I'd recommend to visitors to our city…

A leisurely walk out on the Stone Arch Bridge
It is very near the 35W Interstate Highway Bridge that collapsed and you can see the gap in the big freeway.
Yet the view of downtown and the old mills is reason enough to take the wonderful walk out behind the Guthrie Theatre.

Do the theatre thing…
Beyond the Guthrie, Minneapolis is loaded with fine theatres
presenting live performances of every sort you can imagine,
from classic to very contemporary productions.

A visit to the Minnesota Historical Society Museum
This is one of the most fantastic buildings I've ever been in.
In one direction it looks out on the State Capitol Building
and in the other over the Saint Paul Cathedral.

A visit to the Science Museum of Minnesota
It sits on the Mississippi River in Saint Paul and it's
a lovely, charming, modern museum.

See a Wild hockey game at the X..
Even if you don't like hockey, this is really an occasion
and you'll never forget the excitement and the
extraordinary arena in which it takes place.

Hoof a ride out to Wayzata and walk along Lake Street
This is a suburban community about 15 miles west of downtown
that sits on the north shore of beautiful Lake Minnetonka.
It will provide some fun shopping a half dozen good dining opportunities
from breakfast through dinner. Two of my favorite restaurants are on
Lake Street – Gianni's Italian Steakhouse and The Blue Point.

Visit 50^th and France in Edina
This busy, suburban crossroad is just on the southwest edge of Minneapolis
and it's a lovely place to stroll and shop and grab something fun to eat.

Stroll along Milwaukee Avenue in Minneapolis
This is an old, restored, working man's neighborhood
originally built by the Milwaukee Railroad. It's a pedestrian
only street lined with magnificent trees of every sort.

Saturday Morning Farmers' Market
opens early on Saturday morning and provides lots of wonder sights.
It's just off Olson Memorial Highway, very close to downtown.

The Mall of America
is an absolute must if one is a shopping fanatic.
There is no mall in the world like it and there are now plans
to make it even larger. More people visit the MOA every year
than visit DisneyWorld.

A Paddlewheel Cruise on the Mississippi
can be great fun if your visit is during our good weather
season (May 15 through October 15).

For other exciting, evening dining I told them to try Cosmos at Graves 601 Hotel or the FireLake Grill House.
There's lots of good dining near downtown Minneapolis and that includes all of the following…
Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant
If you like Jazz, book yourself into the club setting for dinner.
Otherwise, the restaurant is exceptional even without the jazz.
Manny's Steak House
This is an honest to god, overwhelming steak house
with giant portions and a hefty price tag, too
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood
Right on the Nicollet Mall, across from Zelo's
you'll find this outstanding and very busy seafood
establishment. The prices are reasonable and good
food is guaranteed.
Monte Carlo Bar and Café
One can enjoy this very old style restaurant until late at
night and you'll be pleased with both the prices and the
quality of the menu items. It's basic and the choices are
limited, but you can count on any of the specialties of the
day to be wonderful. How's this for stability? This place
has been around for over 100 years.
Morton's Steakhouse
This is a national chain but it is really outstanding
and diners are never disappointed except with the
size of the check.
Murray's Restaurant
We really recommend this place. It's been around since 1946
and never disappoints. It's famous for its Silver Butter Knife Steak
and for its garlic toast; however, it has a very big menu with other
wonderful selections.
Oceanaire Seafood
Get great seafood here but not inexpensively.
This is another national chain but each of their restaurants
is done very locally and they are all top-notch. If you love
seafood, you'll love Oceanaire.
Palomino Restaurant and Lounge
Though it's a national chain, it gives you a real local touch and
you'll be delighted with the quality of their fare. We make it there
once a year for sure.
Solera's
This is a Tapas Bar & Lounge
and you can count on really tasty Spanish finger food
at a reasonable price
Vincent's Restaurant
You'll find this wonderful establishment right on the Nicollet Mall
and immediately across from Orchestra Hall. It's our favorite restaurant
in Minneapolis, but you'll find it very pricey.
Zelo
If you're looking for a solid restaurant with good food,
comfort, contemporary zaniness and reasonable prices
this may be the spot. We like it.

If you've gotten the idea that I love the Twin Cities, you got it right!

Do We Support Mukasey?

Before you jump on the Michael Mukasey bandwagon
by Charlie Leck

Michael Mukasey appears, on the surface, to be an acceptable nominee for Attorney General; however, before you jump on his bandwagon, check out this editorial from the NY Times. There are certain questions Mukasey must be asked. He musn't be rubber-stamped. And, there is some unfinished business regarding the on-going Congressional investigation into the involvement of the Justice Department in the last election.

The War Was Always There

The Four Great Issues in the United States
by Charlie Leck

As Hemingway wrote over 70 years ago: "In the fall the War was always there, but we did not go to it anymore!"* So it is when I list the crucial, vital issues facing America and Americans in the next election. The horrible war is there, but I'm not going to it here. Beside the war, here are the great problem issues that politicians must face and solve in America?

1. Poverty and the disappearance of the middle class in our nation threatens economic stability
   
2. A new isolationist and anti-immigration movement threatens our leadership position in the world
   
3. Health care equality is not an option but a constitutional right
   
4. Curbing the hatred of the Christian right is vital in order to preserve an open and free America
   

We are still a year away from making the decision about who we'll vote for in the next national election, but let me say, without drama but with certainty, that this may be the most important election in which any of us has ever cast a vote. I have listed above the four great issues that I will use as a litmus test for the candidates. Where they stand on these matters will dictate how I vote.

Curbing the hatred of the Christian right

You can be certain that I will not vote for any candidate who is sympathetic to the right wing of the Christian faith. These are dangerous people. They are motivated by hate, rather than the love recommended by their Christ, and they teach that hatred to young children. The viciousness of the propaganda I receive from them makes me shudder in fear and nearly weep in sorrow that they so poorly understand the sacred man to whom they claim to commit their lives. We must find a constitutional way to curb the hatred promulgated by this group within our society. They not only do great harm within our nation, but they also depict us unfavorably around the world. The Christian right has no sympathy for those of us who are humanist or universalist Christians. Exclusivism is dangerous in any format. It is frightening in matters of faith. Those of you who share this concern about the pressure that the "right" puts on candidates and elected officials ought to know about PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY (founded by Norman Lear, Barbara Jordan and other outstanding Americans). This organization is a watchdog that tracks the political activity of the Christian Right and reports it.

Health Care Equality
America ranks very low among developed countries when it comes to the distribution of health care. I'll leave for further debate the quality of that health care. My concern here is that a huge percentage of Americans do not have high quality health care available to them because of its expense. Now, it's fine if a fellow American cannot afford a BMW and must settle for a Ford Taurus. That is capitalistic democracy at work. High quality health care, by rights of our democracy and according to the written guarantees of our republic, should be affordably available to every citizen of United States. To me, this is an absolute! There are no exceptions! In a two year period, a neighbor of ours, who headed a health care delivery company, earned nearly 200 million dollars in stock option bonuses. It is only one of many such examples in America. What's the point? You figure it out!

Ending the new isolationist movement and the anti-immigration movement
Opposing the immigration of certain elements (certain people) is nothing new in America. There is a history of it. Italians have faced it and so have Germans, Irish and Asians. Awful and terrible things were said about these peoples in an attempt to keep them out of the country. Today the hatred is turned against those from the Middle East and especially toward Muslims. People I normally admire for reasonableness and rationality seem to lose both on this issue. Again, we must realize that our nation was built on the openness of its borders. This is not written on the Statue of Liberty: "Come if you are white, Anglo Saxon and protestant!"

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Don't dismiss it! This is part of our rich history. It is what made us the greatest nation in the world. If we abandon this spirit, we become just another among the common nations of the world. We will have no right to leadership. We will lose the great respect and honor that has been bestowed upon us. Most frighteningly, we will abandon the challenge of our founding fathers. The religious right intends to frighten people to death on this issue. They are hate-mongering and even telling giant fibs. They speak without substance!

Restoring a balance of wealth
There are probably more diplomatic ways to say it, which won't so offend the radicals on the far right, but the wealth of the nation has become too unbalanced. That is the same as saying that the middle class has lost its position of eminence and power. It is an elementary principle of sociology that a culture needs a strong, diverse and respected middle class. If politicians know what is good for us, they will legislate the middle class back into a position of such respect and strength.

If you are looking for a list of issues on which to judge the campaigning politicians in the next year, I recommend this one to you. Print it out! Post it on the refrigerator. See how the campaigners stack up on these issues.

*In Another Country (1928)
"In the fall the war was always there, but we did not go to it any more. It was cold in the fall in Milan and the dark came very early."

Texas Turns Against the War

The Lone Star State has paid a big price
by Charlie Leck

Here's to Texas. It paid a huge price in the lives of its young people in the war in Iraq. We salute the state and pay our respects to the more than 375 who have died and the more than 2,000 who have been wounded. Only California, a much more populous state, has paid a bigger price.

Now Texans have had enough. A large majority of Texans are saying enough of this nonsense. Welcome aboard Texas! Let's not only put an end to this horror, but let's build a system to prevent it from happening again.

General Petraeus and Secretary of State Colin Powell

Is there a comparison here?
by Charlie Leck

The TV was on in the background during the testimony of General Petraeus before Congress last week. I sat down in front of it occasionally and took in the general, watching his eyes, his chin, his lips and his hand gestures. My impression was good. He's a bright, talented and straight-forward guy. I said to myself: "No way he'd carry the water for a guy like George W… no way!"

Go back to the performance of Secretary of State Colin Powell before the United Nations 5 years ago. I was a big Powell guy and thought he might even make an outstanding President. He had those steady eyes and straight-forward way. He could be trusted. He'd never carry the water for George W… no way!

This is what bother's be about the Petraeus testimony. How do we know? It's so easy to be duped.

I wanted some Congressperson or Senator to have the guts to ask him – right out: "General, don't you think this was in its inception the dumbest damned war in the history of mankind?"

Why didn't we get to the essential questions? "General, doesn't it look like a cage full of idiots planned this war and the occupation of Iraq?"

The closest we came to an essential question was asked by Senator John Warner when he queried whether the war was making us safer.

"Sir, I don't know, actually!"

That undermined the Bush rationale quite significantly. The general just didn't know if all this effort, this money and these lost lives was making us any safer. The Bush line has been that it is better to fight them over there. Better for whom, Mr. President? Better for the little children of Iraq? Better for the families who are now homeless? Better for our general image around the world?

I fear that General Petraeus was fronting for President Bush. I sure didn't see any signs of it; yet I fear it anyway. Colin Powell was fed misinformation before his speech to the United Nations. Was Petraeus similarly treated before he testified before Congress?

On this one, don't expect the newspapers to give you hard hitting opinion on the General's testimony. This is a time to hit the blogs. You should have all your favorite and trust worthy blogs bookmarked so you can turn right to them. You'll get better information from Slate.Com and Salon.Com then you'll find in the best newspapers in the country.

Here are some of the Blogs I like to check out occasionally:

Michelle Malkin

The Huffington Post

Classically Liberal

Daily Kos

America Blog

Andrew Sullivan

Swampland (Joe Klein)

The Big Question (Star-Tribune)

Blog of the Moderate Left

Media Matters

Russ Douthat at the Atlantic.Com (unfortunately you need a subscription to this one)

Why Do We Hurt the People We Care About?

Dating a high school cheerleader!
by Charlie Leck

Another blog about my 50th high school class reunion

and why I won’t go! This one is a difficult one to write,
but I think it’s good for my soul to write it.

Don’t ask me why we hurt people we care about? I did it a lot when I was young and I’m afraid I continue doing it occasionally. Let me start somewhere else.

Holden Caulfield had nothing on me. Remember him? The Catcher in the Rye? He was pretty messed up and confused. He really did dumb things. His mind was in chaos. Things were happening too quickly for him. He couldn’t have made a solid, sensible decision no matter how hard he tried. His brain was tongue tied.

When I was sixteen I was a real mess too. I couldn’t figure anything out – not chemistry, algebra, French or human relationships. Enough people certainly made friendly overtures toward me, indicating their interests in friendship; yet, I was always confused by it. I often looked at myself in the mirror and wondered how anyone could want to be my friend. I would rather have sat in my room and listened to my cheap, tinny radio play the top 25 songs of the week. I tried to study, but nothing made sense. Conjugating verbs in French was a mystery I couldn’t handle. What is this business about the value of X? What the heck is a chemical compound? You think I jest, but I don’t.

I was totally convinced that I was one brain-dead dude. Convinced! The only class I enjoyed was literature. The only activities I found enjoyable were public speaking, debate and drama. They made sense to me because one could then play this game of make-believe. Reality blew my mind!

One of my problems was that I was always falling madly in love with girls who were out of range. I was in the drama club with one of life’s most spectacularly beautiful girls. June Lillian Reinertsen was Norwegian and I was left breathless every time I looked at her. She was a year older and a senior when I was a junior. We were in one of the school plays together and worked closely. Sometimes I’d walk to play practice with her and she’d be so kind and nice to me that it confused me. I cannot tell you how much courage it took to ask her to go have a burger and a soda after play practice one night. Very kindly she explained that there was this fellow – a college guy – who she was dating and it wouldn’t seem right to snack with me. They were going steady!

“You’re a great guy, Charlie, but I can’t go out with you.”

It was okay.

Sure it was okay! Like getting slammed to the turf in football practice by Bob Hoffman was okay! On the football field he was one of the meanest, strongest guys you’d ever meet. I can’t tell you how many times he slammed me to the ground. That’s how it felt when June said she couldn’t even have a burger with me. Oh well, how could you date a senior anyway? I didn’t even drive yet.

It seemed a rule of life that all the really beautiful girls had boyfriends who were a few years older. To my little, confused mind it didn’t seem fair. But, as I learned later in life, there is no justice in matters of love and the heart. I developed a guiding principle I have followed faithfully since: “Life is not fair!”

As my junior year played out, along came Gloria. I’d just been dumped by a freshman girl, but that was okay. I deserved it. Gloria was a senior and a cheer leader and she had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. She sent signals that she liked me. Wow! A cheer leader liked me. She was tall and muscular and very athletic, but that’s okay because I was tall and strong. We hung around together after basketball games. The gym would close and we’d go outside and stand in the cold, night air, chatting. One night, after one game, while we stood together in front of the school, she leaned forward and kissed me. That gave me the nerve to ask her to go for a burger. I didn’t drive yet. We walked over to the burger place near the school and I had enough money to buy her a malt, a burger and some fries. She laughed heartily at almost everything I said. My god she was nice. I looked at my watch and panicked a bit. My brother was to pick me up in the high school parking lot and drive me home. It was okay. She’d call her parents. I ran full out across the length of the campus to the parking lot at the south end. My brother was waiting, but he was cool.

It took a couple of weeks for me to ask her out. We’d go to a movie and, afterwards, somewhere for a snack. My brother agreed to drive. He brought his girlfriend along, but they disappeared when they dropped us off at the movie in Netcong. It was a great night and we had a good time. We’d been seeing each other every day at school and the vibes were really good. We kissed again a few times and I thought it was a wonderful thing to do. I had dated a younger girl for a while and we had kissed, but it was sort of like saying goodbye to your sister when she went off to college. Kissing Gloria was like saying “hello” and “I’m really glad to see you again.”
At night, in bed, I’d think about her. I could hear her laughter and see her giant smile. My, she was a lovely girl. I wondered why she didn’t have an older boyfriend. She was too special not to. Her lovely kisses were certainly nice, but laughing with her was as wonderful as anything I had ever known.

One day I told my brother I wanted to take her to a basketball game and then out for pizza. Would he be willing to drive?

“She’s Negro, you know,” my brother said.

“What?” It seemed such an odd thing to say.

“She is. Don’t you know it?”

“No, she’s not! She’s South American! Or Italian, I think, or, maybe, Greek!”

“No, she’s not! Look how dark she is.”

“Wait a minute! What does it matter? I like her. She likes me. She’s really nice.”

“Mom doesn’t think it’s a good idea!”

“What? Mother has never even met her!”

My god! It hit me like someone shot me! Was there no end to the problems of romance? Here was someone with whom I just liked doing things. It was great fun to be with her. She made me feel adequate. I didn’t feel adequate very often. She drew me out of my bedroom. She made me feel as if I was someone with some kind of worth.

“Are you saying mother doesn’t want me to see her?”

“Yes!”

America was a strange place then! I guess it still is.

I felt as if I had died. I made up some lame excuse. Gloria pretended that she understood. We remained friends right up until her graduation. I remember kissing her cheek on her graduation day and there were tears in my eyes.

In my year book she wrote: “Remember the good times we had!”

Gloria, dear, forgive me! I don’t care what you are or were! You were beautiful and you were so nice to me. I had so few friends who understood me and I didn’t need to lose one of them the way I lost you.

May I say it gently? I really liked you, Gloria. I really liked you! You were a lovely friend.

Gloria, of course, won’t be at the class reunion. Too bad! Maybe if she would be there I’d go, so I could kiss her cheek and say I’m sorry.

I had a lot of good friends in that class ahead of me.
That’s the class I should have been in. I remember a
lot of those kids: Janet Bigg, the wonderful Finnegan
sisters, Jackie Cleland, Tommy Esposito, Stan Woods,
Sue Smith, Tony Santella, Chip Salmon, June Reinertsen,
Joel Mitchell, Adele Hopler, George Johnson, Ted
Neswald, Sandy Green, Lolly Nash, Trev Murphy, Jerry
Hunsicker and good old Nocker. That was a wonderful class.

I must write about the Finnegan sisters sometime. They
were then, and probably still are, among the nicest
human beings on earth. If I were to list all my best friends
in life, they would be on the list.

Poverty is Unnecessary

Poverty in America is Shameful
by Charlie Leck

The following was written nearly a year ago (22 October 2006)
but read by very few of you because, at that time, I had only a
few readers visiting my blog on another site. I wanted to post
this blog here for more of you to read.

"The poor will always be with us," said Jesus (Mark 14:7).

I guess! It seems that way. Yet, Muhammad Yunus, a 2006 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, says, "Poverty is unnecessary."

Would that it were so!

In its citation of Yunus as a prizewinner, the Nobel Committee claims that lasting peace cannot be achieved in the presence of poverty.

I have always had the lingering, lurking belief that a great deal of the unrest, civil war and terrorism in the world is rooted in poverty. Is it so difficult to believe that poverty must sometimes become so unbearable that it causes the birth of ferocious anger?

Our nation is now waging a war on terrorism. Our strategy and methods will not win the war. Oh, we may win a victory here and there – destroy a terrorist cell or an infamous terrorist leader. However, in a world of ravaging poverty in the face of astronomical wealth, there will always be anger among the poor and a hatred of the rich.

Muhammad Yunus strives "to make poverty a museum artifact." Read about him. You all know how to Google. I tend to believe he is correct. The Scandinavians claim to have eradicated poverty in their countries. Only psychological poverty remains; that is, poverty by choice. With a will to do it, America could do the same. It could also be a reality throughout North America. It would take great, wise and creative leadership, but it is a possibility and not a fantasy. My conservative friends will begin, at this point in my argument, to raise howls about socialism and communism. No, that's not where I'm going. It could happen under creative capitalism. There needs only a will to accomplish it.

We have an enormous amount of poverty in America. It is one of the most shameful characteristics of our great nation – that we would allow such a deficiency to exist.

As comfortable, wealthy folks, we are encouraged to give to charities and non-profit organizations that provide handouts to the poor. Send a few cans of soup to the food-shelf. In a great nation of remarkable economic genius and of powerful entrepreneurs, isn't there some more effective way to attack poverty – to grab it by its roots and to pull it forever from the soil of the nation?

If Muhammad Yunus can come up with the ingenious idea of a microcredit bank, can't we come up with some ideas also?

Are we serious when we say we want to fight terrorism and eliminate it? Do we mean it when we say that urban violence must end? These are fights that tanks and guns will not win. They are battles that the creative, economic mind could solve. It is a war that America could wage with great creativity and at less cost than the current war in Iraq. And, in waging such a war, America's international friends would take great notice and we would return to a place of world leadership again.

Jesus may be correct. However, we should make sure that only those who choose to be poor would remain so anywhere in our nation and in the world.