Lakes 10 Movie Theater in Hermantown has Closed, But We Still Have Great Theaters in Duluth

This is the beginning of a recent story from the Duluth News-Tribune:

HERMANTOWN — The Lakes Cinema will close after showtimes on Sunday, April 19, according to a statement on the theater's website.

Marcus Theatres, which operates the cinema at 4351 Stebner Road in Hermantown, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from the News Tribune as to why the theater was closing. In an email to loyalty members, the company wrote, "Thank you for your support over the years — we have enjoyed being part of this community."

Though no reasons were spelled out, I was aware that the theater was having trouble. The large parking lots on three sides of the theater had no more than a dozen cars one Sunday afternoon as I drove by last month. What a change from when we boomers were kids. Even drive-ins were full in those days.

I've known for some time that Covid played a role in breaking people out of their movie routines. Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime stepped up their game at the same time that giant flat-panel TVs come significantly down in price. As a result, going out to catch a matinee or evening flick was no longer the default way to see movies. Covid was a gut-punch from which theaters never recovered.

There were other things that happened though as well. Studios have been making fewer mid-budget films and more big "event" films (superheroes, franchises), perhaps in an effort to capitalize on add-on sales from memorabilia and other gimmicks (which I find nauseating). The blockbusters did fill seats, though even there it has been hit and miss much of the time. Small to mid-sized towns can't survive long dry spells between the big time stuff.

Which compounds the problem of rising costs, from heating to taxes to maintaining projection equipment and sound systems.

Then there's the economics of Hollywood itself. Studios make money from streaming, from global releases and the merchandising I mentioned above. Ticket sales at the theaters are no longer as important as they once were.

On the other hand...

Many theaters have adjusted. What Bob Boone has done in restoring the West Theatre and its sibling The Alhambra is nothing short of wonderful. Whereas movie theater economics has threatened many, these asymmetrical twins were ahead of their time by creating a social hub like theaters once had been in the past. In addition to two theaters, the front half of the Alhambra has captured the historic Speakeasy atmosphere of a century ago, a time almost forgotten with live music and atmosphere.

The West is more than a movie house. Since opening it's been a stellar venue for top drawer acts from Peter Yarrow and Judy Collins to Jorma Kaukonen and John McCutcheon...  and so many others--Benny Goodman's Big Band, Gospel Bluegrass, Paula Poundstone the DTAs -- 52 weeks a year, and more!

Opened in 1913, and now it's back

It's not just music. We've also been wowed by magicians, and other acts that have added a little magic to our corner of the world. 

If you feel like the world today is driving you a little close to the edge, grab a Reader, see who's coming to town in the weeks ahead and drop in for a bit of sanity. 

*.* * 

For the record we still have the Zeitgeist downtown, an alternative venue that's got its own cool factor, and the Marcus Theaters by the DECC across from the William S. Irving ore boat.

I just heard a story recently about how the Irving ended up where it is today. A group of community business leaders brought the ship into the slip where it sits, to contribute to our soon to be flourishing tourist trade. It was all part of a grand vision for Canal Park, and it came to pass!

The Lincoln Park area has been the center of attention these past ten years, but it's my personal hope that the Spirit Valley neighborhood gets a similar about of love. And I know a lot of people who are eager to see Downtown thrive again. 

Darkness and Light

Yesterday I began a new short story in response to a disturbing event that occurred this past week. A couple tentative titles await the completion of this tale: "An Ethical Adjustment" or "The Cupboards Were Bare." 

In the meantime, his morning I woke thinking about a different theme that has been wriggling around in my brain: Darkness and Light.

Darkness is one of those simple words that opens into deeper territory the longer you sit with it. At the most basic level, darkness is just the absence of light. When no photons reach your eyes, your brain has nothing to interpret, and you perceive black. In that sense, darkness isn’t a “thing” at all—it’s what we experience when something else is missing.

But we rarely use the word that way in ordinary life. We talk about darkness as if it has weight and presence. A room can feel dark even when there’s a lamp on. A story can turn dark without the sun setting. A mood can turn dark when we allow a dark thought to make its home in our thoughts. What’s happening there is psychological: darkness becomes a shorthand for uncertainty, danger, or the unknown. Our minds fill in what we cannot see, often with fear, and we all know how fear combined with unrestrained imagination can really twist our heads. (A couple of comical stories come to mind here about runaway paranoia that fortunately had a happy ending. Maybe you have such a memory.)

There’s also a moral dimension. Across cultures, darkness has been linked with ignorance, secrecy, or wrongdoing—“things done in the dark.” Not because darkness itself is evil, but because it conceals. When actions are hidden, accountability disappears. This is why a "free press" is an essential plank in our U.S. Constitution. (See: A Free Press Is Fundamental to Free Nation)

Darkness has another dimension as well. Seeds germinate in darkness underground. Sleep restores the body in the dark. The night sky reveals stars you’ll never see at noon. And I've never met anyone who's seen the breathtaking, shimmering wonder of Northern Lights during the day either. In short, darkness is not always a bad thing.   

By way of contrast light is the counterpart to darkness—but it’s more than just its opposite. At the physical level, light is energy. If I've got my physics right, it travels as electromagnetic waves—tiny packets called photons—moving incredibly fast (an amazing 186,000 miles per second). It’s what allows us to see: objects don’t “have” color on their own; they reflect light into our eyes, and our brains interpret those reflections as shapes, colors, and motion.

It's a strange thought to consider that without light the world is still there but it's hidden.

Light also conveys information. It reveals distance, texture, movement. It lets you recognize a face, read this blog, notice danger, or find your way home. When you look at yourself in a mirror, you see nothing until the lights are turned on. In that sense, light is not just illumination—it’s understanding made visible.

That’s why we use the word metaphorically so often. We speak of “shedding light” on a problem, of a “lightbulb moment,” of someone being “in the dark.” Light becomes a symbol for clarity, truth, awareness. Where light enters, confusion tends to retreat.

But like darkness, light isn’t always gentle. It can expose things we’d rather not see. It can be harsh, even blinding. A floodlight reveals, but it can also overwhelm.

So light is both physical and symbolic. Physically, it’s the energy that makes sight possible. Mentally, it’s the process of making sense of what’s there. Spiritually or morally, it often stands for truth, insight, or revelation.

It's this last dimension that I find especially profound when I consider what Jesus once said: "I am the light of the world." This is a statement with so many layers I can't begin to express it. 

My first thought pertains to the opening lines of the Book of Genesis, and God's first words, "Let there be light."

Here's the context: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

What Jesus said, though, has an even more startling suggestion. "I AM the light of the world." This phrase “I AM” comes from one of the most striking moments in the Old Testament, when God speaks to Moses from the burning bush in Book of Exodus (Exodus 3:14). Moses asks for God’s name, something concrete he can tell the Israelites. The answer he receives is most unusual: “I AM WHO I AM.”

Pursuing those ideas can be a long diversion, so I will simply call it another seed for your mind farm. How seeds germinate is a whole other post, and when they do they reach for the sun.

"Let there be light!"

Liz Mills, A Short Story

 Liz Mills
"We cannot afford to forget any experience, not even the most painful."
~~Dag Hammaskjold

"Will you remember me when you're famous? I know you won't."

"How could I forget you? I can't even imagine it." Steve Lawrence had been showing Liz his sketchbooks when she said this. She saw an unusual strength in his work, and a unique style that transcended what was trendy and fashionable. For a young art student, he had been incredibly prolific.

"Someday you'll be famous and I'll be just one more girl who foolishly threw herself at your feet," she said.

He laughed. He had enjoyed her immensely. She was delightful, funny, thoughtful, profound, and incomparably sensual. He affirmed it repeatedly. He would never forget Liz.

The following semester, when Liz dropped out of the university and went to Mexico, Steve became involved with Stephanie Bond with whom he remained involved for two years until he met Gloria, which wrecked things with Stephanie, but that was O.K., until Gloria went off with his friend Chuck. For a while, after graduating he dated several girls at once until he moved in with Marianne, whom he later married.

Over the years his career path was equally circuitous. Political activist, social worker, kitchen help, janitorial work and a cabinet manufacturing position all helped pay his bills until he got plugged in at the ad agency. He had no idea how much those disjointed experiences would so profoundly contribute to shaping his worldview and contribute to his future success. 

From time to time during those curious career twsts he'd recall to mind something Liz had said. “Art doesn’t change the world by force—it changes the people who eventually do.” Throughout his various paths he never stopped exploring the possibilities of line art, how to evoke emotion and connect with human hearts. 

Timing played a role as well. Minneapolis agencies had just begun to get the attention they deserved and his was spotlighted frequently as a national trendsetter. Awards followed, along with much success, including a Clio for his inspirational health care campaign, 

At this time, again, something Liz said had risen up from some dormant place in his sub-conscience. “The most enduring impact is not made by those who accumulate wealth, but by those who reshape how others see.” It was a defining element in his career. He'd never pursued success for the money or fame, but rather as a vehicle for opening minds. She had nailed it before he ever realized it.

In his twilight years he received numerous lifetime achievement awards for his creative work and accolades from around the globe for his "World Peace Through the Arts" initiative. Two presidents entertained him in the White House and as an ultimate grace he was nominated for, and received, the Nobel Peace Prize.

Success in art, business and global statesmanship... what more could any man want? Yet there was something else he wished for. He wished.... he wished somehow, that he could find Liz Mills and tell her that, indeed, he had never forgotten her. 

In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech he famously said, “Art whispers truths that success alone cannot afford to say out loud.”  

There were chuckles when he told the little anecdote about Liz Mills, and several reporters included the story in their account of the speech. Newswire services picked it up as well. On social media people debated the merits of the story, whether there really had been a Liz Mills, or whether it was simply a metaphor for youthful aspirations and long lost dreams.

A search was undertaken, initiated by several friends, as a surprise for his eightieth birthday. They scoured every database conceivable. There was a difficulty in that she may have married and had someone else's name. Nevertheless... in hope, the search was undertaken.

Liz Mills, the bold, vivacious Liz Mills of his youth, the real flesh and blood Liz Mills, now living in a nursing home -- having been placed there by her family -- was blankly watching television the evening Steve Lawrence and the Nobel Peace Prize were being discussed. Celebrities and scholars debated the merits of Steve's achievements, two endorsing and two assaulting. A brief snippet of Lawrence's acceptance speech was also aired, including the anecdote about Liz Mills.

Liz smiled and turned to a nurse who, standing nearby, was also listening. "Isn't that funny? My name is Liz Mills, too.”

"Did you know him?" the nurse asked.

"No, I never knew anyone by that name," Liz said. "I'm sure I'd remember someone like that."

* * *  

What Are Some of the Most Commonly Asked Questions at OpenAI?

I wonder if AI bots can get a big ego. A couple years ago I asked OpenAI's ChatGPT what the most commonly asked questions that people were asking. Would it be questions about life, meaning, happiness or God? Would it be questions about television or media? Questions about science or the universe? 

ChatGPT is full of surprises, which is one reason it can be so thoroughly entertaining, almost as surprising and entertaining as Twitter.

Based on the opening sentence to this blog post, you might be able to guess what the most commonly asked questions have been at OpenAI and the ChatGPT family of bots. Yes, the ten most frequently asked questions have to do with OpenAI and  ChatGPT itself. How does it work? What does OpenAI do? Questions about ethics, drawbacks and the future are on the list as well, but here's the full answer, straight from the horsebot's mouth.

What's funny to me is that I've not asked ChatGPT any of these kinds of questions, except the one about AI art and ethics, which I wrote about in my March column for Business North.

What are some of the most commonly asked questions at OpenAI?

As an AI language model, I don't have access to data regarding the most commonly asked questions at OpenAI, but based on my interactions with users, here are some of the frequently asked questions:

1. What is OpenAI, and what do you do?
2. What is GPT-3, and how does it work?
3. How can I access GPT-3, and what are the pricing options?
4. Can I use OpenAI's APIs for commercial purposes?
5. What are some of the applications of OpenAI's technology?
6. What are the ethical considerations around AI and OpenAI's work?
7. How can I get involved with OpenAI and contribute to the community?
8. What are some of the limitations and potential drawbacks of OpenAI's technology?
9. What is the difference between OpenAI and other AI companies or research institutions?
10. What are some of the future plans and directions for OpenAI?

* * * 

AI version of my pen & ink art above.

You  can tell how much further along ChatGPT has evolved by the manner in which it answered this same question today. The earlier version simply listed the questions people ask. Today's version parses the questions into categories, and added icons for each category.

🧠 1. Basic “What is this?” Questions

These are the entry-level questions most new users ask:

• What is ChatGPT?
• How does it work?
• What can I use it for?
• Is it free?
• What’s the difference between versions (GPT-4, etc.)?

These show up prominently in official FAQs and guides.

🛠️ 2. “How do I use it?” (Practical Use)

Once people understand the tool, they ask how to apply it:

• Can it help me write or edit something?
• Can it summarize documents?
• Can it help with coding or math?
• How do I upload files or images?

This reflects how ChatGPT is used for everyday tasks like writing, planning, and analysis.

💼 3. Developer / API Questions

More technical users tend to ask:

• How do I get an API key?
• How much does it cost?
• What are rate limits?
• Why am I getting errors (like 429)?

These are among the most common questions in OpenAI’s developer help docs.

🔐 4. Privacy, Safety, and Trust

A big category—especially as AI becomes mainstream:

• Is my data safe?
• Does OpenAI store conversations?
• Can ChatGPT be wrong?
• What are the risks of using AI?

These concerns show up repeatedly as usage scales and becomes more personal.

💰 5. Cost & Access

Very common practical questions:

• Is ChatGPT free or paid?
• What do I get with Plus / Pro?
• How is pricing calculated?

🧑‍💻 6. Job & Interview Questions (About OpenAI as a Company)

For people interested in working there:

• Why do you want to work at OpenAI?
• How do you ensure AI safety?
• Explain machine learning concepts
• Design an AI system

These show up frequently in interview prep materials.

🌍 7. What People Actually Ask ChatGPT (Behavior Patterns)

Studies and reporting show the real-world usage is broader:

• Personal advice (career, relationships, health)
• Writing help (emails, essays, blog posts)
• Learning (explanations, summaries)
• Everyday curiosity (“How does X work?”)

One summary: people most often ask about personal development, relationships, health, career, and technology.

📊 Big Picture Insight

Roughly speaking, questions cluster into three layers:

1. Understanding the tool → “What is this?”
2. Using the tool → “Can you help me do X?”
3. Trusting the tool → “Can I rely on this?”

And interestingly, nearly half of interactions are simply people asking questions—basic curiosity at scale.

✍️ A Useful Line for Your Writing

If you’re working this into an article, you might say:

“The most common questions people ask OpenAI aren’t technical—they’re human: What can you do for me? Can I trust you? And how can this make my life easier?”

THIS LAST COMMENT comes as a result of an ongoing relationship that we have. ChatGPT knows I am a writer/blogger. He/she/it is here suggesting an angle for this blog post.

* * * 

ChatGPT isn't the only game in town. In fact, the number of AI LLMs seems to be multiplying exponentially as people and bots think up new applications or improve existing ones. Buzz Lightyear comes to mind: "From Here to Infinity... and Beyond!" 

"Oh Brave New World!"

Berlinski and The Devil's Delusion

Having recently discovered mathematician and polymath David Berlinski, I ordered a pair of his books and am currently reading The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions.  The introductory blurb at Amazon.com describing the book:

     

AMAZON: Militant atheism is on the rise. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens have dominated bestseller lists with books denigrating religious belief as dangerous foolishness. And these authors are merely the leading edge of a far larger movement–one that now includes much of the scientific community.

In response, mathematician David Berlinski, himself a secular Jew, delivers a biting defense of religious thought. The Devil's Delusion is a brilliant, incisive, and funny book that explores the limits of science and the pretensions of those who insist it is the ultimate touchstone for understanding our world.

Berlinski's writing packs a punch. “The attack on traditional religious thought,” he writes, “marks the consolidation in our time of science as the single system of belief in which rational men and women might place their faith, and if not their faith, then certainly their devotion.”

 

* * *

I've been hearing a lot of talk lately about how the Church is dying and Atheism is growing in popularity. As we all know, what's popular isn't always right. Yes, it's easy to cite plenty ot examples of abuse--even horrors--committed in the name of religion, but to hold up Atheism (or secular humanism) as a paragon of virtue is hilarious. Here's how Berlinski dismantles that notion.

In 2007, a number of scientists gathered in a conference entitled "Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason, and Survival" in order to attack religious thought and congratulate one another on their fearlessness in so doing. The physicist Steven Weinberg delivered an address. As one of the authors of the theory of electroweak unification, the work for which he was awarded a Nobel Prize, he is a figure of great stature. "Religion," he affirmed, "is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion" (italics added).

In speaking thus, Weinberg was warmly applauded, not one member of his audience asking the question one might have thought pertinent: Just who has imposed on the suffering human race poison gas, barbed wire, high explosives, experiments in eugenics, the formula for Zyklon B, heavy artillery, pseudo-scientific justifications for mass murder, cluster bombs, attack submarines, napalm, intercontinental ballistic missiles, military space platforms, and nuclear weapons?

If memory serves, it was not the Vatican.

* * *

The book has its critics, and as with most books I suggest that the best way to enjoy a writer is to chew on the meat and spit out the bones. This applies to Nietzsche or Russell, Orwell or Rand. And me, too.