Skip to Content
Opinion

Is It Hot Enough For Ya in This Friday Open Thread?

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers.

Photo by Tricia Galvin on Unsplash

I'm gonna ask you to talk about the weather in this week's Open Thread, and I'm not gonna apologize for that.

Small talk gets a bad rap, but I personally love it. Some of my favorite conversations have been been less than two minutes long, just a quick exchange of remarks with a stranger about the weather. It's just a nice reminder that we're able to interact with each other briefly and pleasantly. Not to come off like captain of the civility squad or anything, but we need little moments of friendly social interaction like that.

So yeah, the weather. Which, I do not have to tell you, is HOT! Expect a muggy high of 88 today, followed by about the same for Saturday. Mercifully, things begin cooling down next week.

So... what do you do when it gets this hot? Are you one of those freaks who really enjoy it? What are your favorite heat-avoidance and/or heat-amelioration techniques? Swimming? Ice cream? Places of air-conditioned refuge?

Having moved recently from an apartment with central air to one without, I can say that ceiling fans do a good (if not always adequate) job, though they also make me sleepy. Years ago, when I lived in Elliot Park, I used to pay $5 to chill in the bleachers of the Dome. That's what I got to contribute.

As always, feel free to ignore this prompt and talk about whatever you want. This is your Open Thread, after all.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Racket

U.S. Senate Hopeful Peggy Flanagan to Nation: ‘I Want to Avenge Minnesota.’

Plus how the NYT covers MN, bye-bye, Bauhaus, and Keith Ellison on 'Shorelunch' in today's Flyover news roundup.

May 14, 2026

See a Light Rail Doubleheader, and Experience Baseball in a Historical Way

It's not the 1920s anymore—and our streetcars are long gone—but you can still ride the Light Rail between a Twins and Saints game this season.

MN Senate Votes to Defund Kids’ Canoe Trip Program

Plus the war on immigrants continues, the Germans have our back, and how to keep up with the legislature in today's Flyover news roundup.

Rainer Fronz Has a Lot of Heart. But He Still Needs a New One.

The founder of underground rock fest Caterwaul and 'smartest OG in the room' is awaiting a transplant.

See all posts