Happy Friday, Racket readers. As always, it&#8217;s time for our weekly open thread, where you talk amongst yourselves, unfettered by demands of relevance. No lie—seeing you all interact here has become a highlight of the week. Not to make it all about me, but while you&#8217;re all gabbing here, I&#8217;ll be slipping out today to…

Guess What I’ll Be Doing Today While You Chat on the Friday Open Thread?

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Jay Boller

Opinion

You Must Rank the Seasons in This Week’s Open Thread

Matthew Cunningham-Cook is a journalist and active in the labor movement. He has been published in The American Prospect, The Nation, The Intercept, In These Times, The Lever, Jacobin, Al Jazeera, and The New York Times. He currently works as associate director and labor educator at Labor Education Service, Minnesota Carlson. The views expressed are his own.

Matthew Cunningham-Cook

In the Fight Against Fascism, Here’s Why Minnesota’s Unions Matter

Keith Harris

Uh Oh, It’s an Open Thread About Dating

Myrl Beam is a south Minneapolis parent and organizer with Minneapolis Families for Public Schools. He is faculty in the Women&#8217;s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at Macalester College.

Myrl Beam

Hey, Minneapolis Public Schools: Show Us the Numbers Behind Your Proposed Slash-and-Burn Cuts

Andrew Zimmern has spent decades proving that food can be a powerful force for cultural understanding and social change. An Emmy-winning and James Beard Award-winning television host, chef and food advocate, he brings boundless curiosity and deep empathy to his exploration of global cuisine on his acclaimed shows, including the Bizarre Foods franchise, The Zimmern List, What’s Eating America, Family Dinner, and Wild Game Kitchen. His work extends far beyond television into restaurants, publishing, and philanthropy, all driven by his conviction that shared culinary experiences can bridge divides and create lasting change.

Andrew Zimmern

Sysco-Restaurant Depot Merger Is a Rotten Deal for Restaurants

Em Cassel (she/they) is a cyclist, a metalcore apologist, and a co-owner and editor of Racket.

Em Cassel

Tell Us About Your FAILURES in This Week’s Open Thread

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Culture

15 Things I Learned at the Brand-New World’s Longest Car Wash in Brooklyn Park

Food & Drink

Lonely’s Bar Feels Like It’s Been Around Forever. In a Way, It Kind of Has.

Deborah Copperud is a Minneapolis-based writer and podcaster with work published in Glamour, Current Affairs, and HuffPost, among other publications. She hosts the <a href="http://readminnesotabooks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://readminnesotabooks.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781801695279000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1zzDA1PL3LzCiUpmTtCwC4">Read Minnesota Books</a> podcast.

Deborah Copperud

Books

Kawai Strong Washburn’s New Novel Predicted the Super El Niño

Jessica Armbruster

News

Jim Bakker Lived in Minneapolis for a Year, Died Yesterday

Events

Queer Indie-Pop, Black Cowboys, Disfavored Wife Guys—It’s Your Complete Concert Calendar: October 6-12

Anders is a Minnesota-raised, NYC-based writer, comedian, and organizer who co-costs the podcasts Pod Damn America and The Vanquished.

Anders J. Lee

History

Reexamining the Legacy of Tony Bouza, the In-Your-Face Progressive Reformer Who Once Led MPD

post

It’s a Very Special Back to School Open Thread