Stranger Things - Season 3

Take everything that was right in music, television, film and literature from the greatest decade (the 1980s), throw it in a blender and come up with an extremely well-written, directed, acted and shot series that is fun, funny, intense and often scary. Like a fine wine, Season 3 was a nuanced blend that, among many others, gave us hints of The Thing, The Terminator and a nod to Spies Like Us. On a scale of 1 - 10, I give Stranger Things…Eleven.

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San Francisco

With all due respect to Duluth, MN, San Francisco is the most scenic city in the US. The bay, the bridges, the architecture, the topography—so much to see here. Do not overlook the Pier 39 sea lions. The constant barking draws you in and the antics keep you riveted to the action of these fascinating, graceful and often hilarious creatures.

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Yesterday

I have invested a lot of glorious time listening to and reading about The Beatles as well as their pre and post Beatles lives and careers. So, this movie was a big deal to me. Great premise very cleverly and satisfyingly executed. I really appreciated the use of an unknown (to me at least) actor for the lead role. I thought his performance and interpretation of the songs was spot on. On a scale of 1 - 5 I rate this as Fab.

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Kenora, Ontario

I’ve always wanted to check out the town of Kenora, Ontario on the northernmost bay of the amazing Lake of the Woods. Kenora did not disappoint. A bustling, extremely scenic town of 15,000. I had the very good fortune to stay in a lakeside room on the 5th floor of the distinctive Clarion Inn (also known as The Pop Can or The Tower of Power). Definitely a million dollar view. Also, you can’t miss the 40-foot tall Husky the Muskie. Great summer destination.

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The Jack Reacher Series

Just finished the latest Jack Reacher novel—number 23 in the series—a series that has been consistently good since book 1. Jack Reacher is part Sherlock Holmes and part The Hulk. Very unique and entertaining character. I really committed to this series a couple years ago after seeing author Lee Child speak at an event sponsored by Friends of the Hennepin County Library. He was very real, interesting, entertaining, candid and grateful to the readers who allow him to do what he does…which is a really good gig.

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Excavation Safety

I’ve been privileged to work on MANY construction safety videos over the years. Job sites are really visually dynamic locations. The sparks fly! True craftspeople at work. My goal is to make these videos very authentic, engaging and educational while bringing out the “cool” factor of this unique profession. Speaking of Excavation Safety, did you know that just a cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a mid-size sedan? Thanks to a fabulous contractor partner in Des Moines, we were able to bring that concept to life. Spoiler alert, the car didn’t fare to well.

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Black Mirror

Just finished Season 5. As a whole, I think this is one of the best series in broadcast history. The writing, the performances and the production value are all superb. Incredibly visceral, engrossing, poignant, disturbing, supremely thought provoking…often touching and even funny. Also, I now have a healthy fear of all technology in my life.

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Shirley Jackson

I found the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House to be extremely compelling, supremely well produced and significantly scary/creepy/not the right thing for me to watch before going to bed…but I couldn’t stop! So, I had to check out the original source material. The novel bares minimal similarities to the series adaptation. I gotta say, I prefer the adaptation. However, I came away thoroughly impressed with the unrelated Shirley Jackson short stories—incredibly nuanced and layered. Great literature for deep analysis.

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Witch's Hat Water Tower

Doors Open Minneapolis was a recent event that allowed free public access to significant Minneapolis buildings. It has been a life long goal of mine to ascend the iconic Witch’s Hat Water Tower. Mission accomplished! Can’t believe I didn’t already know this, but I also learned this tower was the inspiration for Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”…at least that’s the rumor and I’m going with it.

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Miami Beach

I really value the travel opportunities my job provides—even getting to spend a brief amount of time in a destination. I just had a couple hours to shoot some nighttime scenics in Miami Beach. I’ve been here a couple times now. Always quick stops. I gotta get back to Miami and Miami Beach for an extended stay to really get to know this city. In my limited exposure, I definitely feel a great atmosphere, very international crowd and fun…as well as cultural, historical and architectural significance.

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Twins Game

Got to attend my first Twins game of the season. As you can see, the weather wasn’t quite baseball-friendly enough for the masses. Considering the sparse crowd, I thought I would have a great chance of getting a foul ball. A very high foul did come my way. I completely lost it in the sun. I was frantically trying to pick it up when I heard a “thunk!” It landed right on the lap of the woman one row in front of me. None of us saw it coming and fortunately, she was not injured. Close call. Baseball really is a game of inches.

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