I watched Young Adult on Christmas Day and I did like it a lot. Charlize Theron’s performance is fantastic, which I expected. I didn’t expect, however, to see that it was shot in Minneapolis. Didn’t even know until I saw the credits that the movie was written by Minneapolis’ own Diablo Cody, so there you go.

As I said, it’s a good movie but the following trailer really doesn’t do it justice or even represent it accurately. While Young Adult does have it’s funny moments, it is actually quite depressing…but then aren’t all the good stories? Found at YouTube from YoungAdultMovie.

I finally made it to a concert at Mystic Lake’s amphitheater last week to see Stevie Nicks.

It was a great show, especially so because it was outdoors on a perfect Summer night. I gotta say, though, that I have never felt so old at a concert, a Gen Xer surrounded by greying Baby Boomers. It was an odd feeling, to say the least.

Stevie Nicks was delighted to be able to play at Mystic Lake; she commented several times what an appropriately-named venue it was for her to play at, given her interest in mysticism.

The highlight of the concert for me was the story Nicks told about the creation of Soldier’s Angel, a song from her current album. Originally a poem, she was inspired to write it after visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed hospital. She gave copies of that poem to any soldiers or their families she visited thereafter. The poem turned into a song with the help of Lindsey Buckingham, as she explains before performing the song during a concert in Los Angeles:

Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham Perform Soldier’s Angel

Found at YouTube from windytree71.

Stevie Nicks Performs Landslide

Stevie Nicks performs Landslide at the Mystic Lake Casino amphitheater on August 24, 2011. Found at YouTube from 1moregan.

Stevie Nicks Performs Secret Love [Excerpt]

Stevie Nicks performs Secret Love at the Mystic Lake Casino amphitheater on August 24, 2011. This is 45 seconds of Stevie Nicks performing Secret Love off her latest album. It’s only 45 seconds but it’s a high quality 45 seconds. Found at YouTube from cgoede67.

Found this through @YouTubeTrends. Ouch! The truth hurts. Found at YouTube from TheSecondCityNetwork.

Yay for reason! Yay for science! Yay for facts! I admit I was dreading watching this video for fear of where our very own Miss Minnesota, Brittany Thelemann, for stating rather definitely and eminently reasonably that evolution should be taught in our schools.

I’d say it makes gives me hope for the future were it not for so many of the rest of her fellow Miss USA candidates who said No, or Yes, But or, worse, All Opinions Should Be Taught. Still, way to go Brittany! Found at YouTube from seng12900 via Washington Post.

Circle Me, Bert!

Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven, a former Minnesota Twins pitcher and their current television color commentator had a habit of circling fans on screen. And fans, of course, have reacted by bringing Circle Me, Bert! signs to the ballpark.

This is pretty funny. Stephen Colbert lampoons Tim Pawlenty’s GOP debate performance. Found at Comedy Central.

Parents and grandparents and the caregivers who assist them twenty-four hours a day sharing their feelings on funding for older adult services in the face of a potential Minnesota government shutdown. (The video was produced by a client of my employer, Tunheim.) Minnesota Government Shutdown from LTCImperative.

We know that Minnesota Twins superstar catcher Joe Mauer can’t seem to stay healthy but did you know he’s a horrible singer, too? Yep, he is. Found at YouTube from ExploreMinnesota via @MariaEnergia.

UPDATED: 5/28/11: I participated on the Civil Rights, Civic Discourse & Civic Responsibility in a High Tech World panel for the Hubert H. Humphrey Centennial Reunion & Policy Discussion held May 27, 2011, at Minneapolis City Hall.

Do Online Technologies Contribute To Civic Discourse? from David Erickson.

Hubert H. Humphrey Centennial Reunion Invitation From Vice President Walter Mondale

Hubert H. Humphrey Birthday Centennial Reunion from Tottencom.

Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Speech Before The 1948 Democratic National Convention

One of the greatest speeches ever given: Hubert H. Humphrey’s 1948 Civil Rights Speech at the Democratic National Convention. Found at YouTube from AmericanSpeeches.

Kathleen Sebelius: Health & Human Services Celebration Of Hubert H. Humphrey

Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discusses Hubert H. Humphrey’s legacy and a screening of excerpts of The Art Of The Possible, a documentary about Humphrey, and a discussion with filmmaker Mick Caouette. Found at YouTube from USGOVHHS.

Governor Mark Dayton Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

Congressman Keith Ellison Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

Mayor R.T. Rybak Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

State Senator John Marty Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

Justice Paul H. Anderson Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

Tom Tipton Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

Larry Redmond Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

Robert Tennessen Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

Robert E. Hansen Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

Rich Neumeister Remembers Hubert H. Humphrey

Found at YouTube from craigstellmacher.

MN2020: Hubert H. Humphrey’s Legacy

Found at YouTube from MN2020.

I was so sad to hear that Harmon Killebrew is entering hospice care after losing his fight to esophageal cancer. A good friend of mine died of it; it’s nasty.

My first memory of Harmon Killebrew is my first iconic boyhood memory: It was my first ballgame with my father at the old Met Stadium. The Twins were hosting the Baltimore Orioles. We went with a neighbor and our seats were along the third base line, so our neighbor kept telling me to keep an eye on the great Orioles third baseman of the time, Brooks Robinson.

I remember fat men standing around on the concourse drinking beer and the smell of their thick cigar smoke. I remember Tony Oliva breaking a bat by pounding it on home plate after disagreeing with the umpire’s called third strike.

In the bottom of the ninth the Twins were behind by a run. Harmon, in his last years as a Twin and relegated to DH duty, stepped up to bat to the thundering feet of the crowd, stomping in expectation.

Crack. The ball arched high across the sky down the third base line and settled into the upper-deck stands…just foul. Harmon ended up striking out and the Twins lost but I was astonished that a human being could hit the ball so hard and so far.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Harmon Killebrew but from afar he always came off as a kind and gentle man. Thank you, Harmon. Found at YouTube from kosterfilms.

Found at YouTube from CTVnorthsuburbs.

Found at YouTube from CTVnorthsuburbs.