Columnists

Mud, a Mississippi River drama

Mud, a southern gothic coming-of-age drama was written and directed by Jeff Nichols that takes place in Arkansas along the Mississippi River. Released in 2012 and rated PG-13, it stars Matthew McConaughey as Mud and Reese Witherspoon as Juniper. It also features a young Tye Sheridan as Ellis and...

Walking through the book of Revelation

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the...

Don’t know crap

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING My twin brother asked if I ever suffer from hallucinations. That was an odd thing to ask. Why is that odd? I don’t have a twin brother. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts...

I remember

I remember when the Middle East seemed like a very distant land. I remember when Americans took privacy in their personal lives for granted. I remember when I might show up at the airport 15 minutes before my flight and walk right on board with a bottle of my own water and a penknife in my pocket...

September warm

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING Do you ever talk to yourself? Yes, I do sometimes. I wasn’t talking to you. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. After her funeral, Lori Bell rode to the...

Stranger than Fiction, Will Ferrel’s best dramatic work

Stranger than Fiction is a 2006 PG-13 film defined as a “fantasy romance, comedy drama.” It stars Will Ferrell as Harold Crick and as Harold’s wristwatch, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the love interest. Directed by Marc Forster, it also stars Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson and Queen Latifah. ...

Labor for the Lord

About 40 years ago, a woman named Susan arrived at work on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. She didn’t like her job as a mailroom clerk. She hated her commute. She didn’t like the people she worked with. She especially didn’t like the man who kept sexually harassing her. She hadn’t even made it...

An orphan finds meaning in America’s northwest

The movie “Train Dreams” was made available on Netflix in 2025 and follows fictional railroad and mountain man Robert Grainier over the course of his lifetime. Directed by Clint Bentley who co-wrote the script alongside Greg Kwedar, it stars Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones and has a nice...

Our small cabin is big on memories

Most people would define a cabin as a small, simple house in a wild, remote place: a retreat away from modern urban life. Fortunately, Lisa and I don’t have to travel hours north of the Twin Cities to arrive at our cabin. Instead, we drive a mere 12 miles north of Waseca on Highway 13. There, on...

Exude gratitude

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING Want to hear your horoscope? Sure, why not? It says, “Your generosity will glow like 10,000 fireflies after you buy pie for everyone in the cafe.” I don’t believe my horoscope says that. Have you always had such deep-seated trust...