You gonna eat that? Somewhere in the Twin Cities early in the week, a dude called police to report finding a piece of plastic in his box of cereal. My friend, if that hunk of plastic turns out to be the Honeycomb Cereal baking soda submarine, I will gladly trade you a Kellogg’s vintage stretchy […]
Mark LaFlamme
Street Talk: Looking for a graduation do-over
At every high school graduation I cover for the paper, I meet that same kid. He’s the handsome guy, chronically smiling in his cap and gown, who always has a perfect answer at the ready when I ask about his plans. “Well, tonight a bunch of us are heading to Old Orchard Beach, where we […]
Mark LaFlamme: International House of What, now?
Where the wild things are So at the suggestion of many of you yahoos, I went out the other day in search of the mighty multi-colored zebra that was being painted on the side of a downtown Lewiston parking garage. Unfortunately, when I started this safari, I didn’t bother to ask for a location. You […]
Mark LaFlamme: How would you like your eggs?
A meteorological Tilt-A-Whirl Why is it raining so much lately? Oh. Right. Smokey’s Greater Shows has come to Auburn. I’m pretty sure smart farmers plan their gardens around this carnival. Whenever it appears, you can count on a week straight of rain. Yule think I’m crazy So, I was called out by a Hannaford clerk […]
Ransacked: Broken glass and shattered faith
It wasn’t so much the break-in itself as it was the wrath of it. “There was glass everywhere,” the woman reported. “It was on the floor and all over the bed. All the drawers were open and clothes had been thrown everywhere. It was a disaster.” And it wasn’t just the bedroom that had been […]
Mark LaFlamme: Don't harsh my mellow
Flute Choir Ends Oasis Season This headline ran on Tuesday. I can’t stop looking at it. It soothes me. Portland Pie Company is coming!!!! Holy moly! People got leg-humping happy about this news. Portland Pie Company is one of those places that my wife tells me I love even though I have no clear recollection […]
Mark LaFlamme: Feed your head
Dude, vote for me At the Democratic State Convention last week, I ran into a nice lady in the parking lot who claimed to be running for one office or the other on the hemp platform. In fact, she had ground up her platform, sprinkled it into paper and twisted it into the fattest and […]
Talk of the town: What happens on the Tilt-a-Whirl stays on the Tilt-a-Whirl
Bring an umbrella Well, well. It appears that a giant Elvis Presley balloon will be floating over the Twin Cities come August. You know the kind of effect Presley has on the older ladies. It will be fun to watch them fling their undergarments at The King when he’s 500 feet overhead. It’s gonna be […]
Mark LaFlamme: If you can find your glasses, you're going to love reading this
It’s been a few years now since the voodoo witch doctor optometrist put a curse on me. He was my wife’s eye doctor at the time and we ran into the fellow at the grocery store. After the usual grocery store pleasantries (“I see you bought the Charmin two-ply. How’s that working out for you?”) […]
Talk of the town: Can I interest you in a urinal cake?
Creepers They’re really out this spring. These are the people who, while sitting in traffic at a red light, will creep forward a few inches at a time in anticipation of the light turning green. Every few seconds they creep forward a little more, slamming on their brakes when they realize the light is still […]