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.

Every year I make at least one trip to the Minnesota State Fair to get a bucket or two of Sweet Martha’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. This video I shot last year doesn’t really do them justice but once you try them, you’ll understand why I love them so much. Found Sweet Martha’s Chocolate Chip Cookies from David Erickson.

Minnesota Twins slugger hit his 600th home run tonight against the Detroit Tigers, putting him at number four on the all time home run list and almost certainly into the Hall of Fame. Found at ESPN.

Minnesota Twins slugger Jim Thome’s 598th carer home run was about the only highlight in last night’s dismal 7-1 loss to the Angels, which heightened the prospect of Thome hitting the 600 milestone at Target Field. Found at YouTube from X.

WCCO TV reporter Jason DeRusha’s coverage of the 35W bridge collapse tragedy that occurred four years ago today. Found at YouTube from DeRushaJ.

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

This is a pretty good highlight, too. Some fan caught the entire at-bat of Jim Thome’s crushing 490 foot, 596th home run at Target Field. Found at YouTube from johnnykool327.

Twins centerfielder Ben Revere kicks it into high gear and takes a tumble on his way to third base. Found at YouTube from twinkie57401.

The Metrodome rose again this morning, seven months and a day after it collapsed in a blizzard. Found at Minnesota Public Radio via @mariaenergia.