Recent content from James Lileks
Lileks: Minneapolis is happy to be the happiest
But, we admit, we're not sure how we earned the honor.
Lileks: Best Father's Day gift? Listening.
He doesn't need a goofy apron or funny socks. Especially funny socks. Let him tell you something embarrassing,
Lileks: Minneapolis dogs aren't the mailman's best friend
The Postal Service has released a study on dog bites, and we don't come off very well.
Lileks: The stars are aligning on Tuesday. What does it mean?
Either the universe is ending as the Mayans foretold, or nothing will happen at all. Doesn't mean it's not going to be interesting.
Lileks: Do you even want to live in a world without Push-Ups?
Pondering the scarcity of the popular ice cream treat.
Lileks: Right here, right now, Minnesota is the best place to be
Summer starts the moment the brats hit the grill.
Lileks: How many hot dogs do Minnesotans eat? Not enough.
We're falling behind in tube-steak consumption status, and even worse, we add — gasp — ketchup.
Malls are in trouble in Minnesota and beyond. Will your mall close or evolve?
We used to love our malls. They were where your mom bought your first pair of jeans, where you hung out as a teen. But their future may be in doubt.
Lileks: New 'The Office' spinoff takes place at a Midwestern newspaper
The show, still untitled, features the creators of the popular office sitcom, shuttered in 2013.
Lileks: Of course we spend too much on coffee
Fancy drink titles aren't enough to justify paying so much for a cup of Joe.
Minneapolis may lose one of its skyscrapers. Should we mourn or rejoice?
Losing a tower wouldn't necessarily be bad for the city — unless it's replaced by a parking lot.
Lileks: True Minnesotans appreciate the benefit of miserable work
Storm brought us snow, ice and — most important — a chance to build character.
Parking ramps are ugly — but we need more of them in downtown Minneapolis
What if any new ramp could be designed to enhance the city, not just store cars?
Lileks: Do you believe the big bad snow predictions?
At some point we began to lose confidence in predictions. Cast your vote!
Can we have spring without winter?
For Jupiter's sake, of course we can.
He's not tuned in to streaming TV
You can't even find the show you don't get.
Ice cream is so much more than just a dessert
It's part of our youthful memories and our adult indulgences.
Minnesota's fast-food chains once boasted garishly fun designs
But you knew what they were at a glance. Now the buildings are nothing short of bleak.
Minnesotans have moved past ketchup onto bona fide hot sauce. So what's our fave?
And what's with South Dakota's love for Heinz?
Is it odd to mourn a microwave?
It's almost a member of the family.
Lileks: Turn off your Christmas lights, people
Unless you can convince your neighbors that they're for a different holiday.
Updating your phone can ruin your life
Nothing works correctly after that.
The Minnesota method: hot dish-based protests
French protesters threw soup; we'd go with a Tater Tot casserole.
Lileks: When State Fair memorials get benched
How do we honor Uncle Bob now?
Lileks: Tired of kids who don't text back?
"Every Boomer probably got a missive in that script, and if we think back, the letters were perfect."
Once celebrated, the skyways of Minneapolis are now being blamed for downtown's empty streets
Since the early 1960s, the elevated connections between buildings have been a hallmark of the core of both downtowns.
Lileks: A new name for that old winter thing we hate
What to call the intermediary step between sleet and snow.
Airfare fees becoming extra baggage
Booking flights these days involves getting nickled, dimed, quartered and half-dollared to death.
Four ways to save Minneapolis: Demolish City Center — or most of it
The 1980s blank wall of a building fails to offer what a vital city center needs: connection.
A ferocious fire in 1982 destroyed a Minneapolis bank but left a Charles Lindbergh plane unscathed
The Northwestern National Bank Building, full of tall columns and grand marble, was completely lost.
Lileks: The Christmas catalog season is a gift all its own
The mail brings a sheaf of catalogs every day, and they all fall into one of several categories.
Lileks: It's too late to argue about daylight savings time
We will revisit this in the spring, have the same conversation, and change nothing.
Lileks: Pillow-piling and other tactics in the battle of the sexes
The very name of the sham pillowcase tells you it's a lie.
Lileks: What if the most evil being in the land of Oz was your aunt?
Growing up with the Wicked Witch of the West.
Lileks: The once prestigious briefcase has lost out to backpacks
They're more practical, but lack structure and purpose.
One of the ugliest buildings in downtown Minneapolis will likely be demolished. Should we care?
The YWCA sticks out like a sore thumb. But it is an example of a certain style of architecture.