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Iron Range mining commentary in the works
The nonferrous mining debate in northern Minnesota continues its holding pattern around the flaming, riot-scarred airport of Progress. I’ve written a two-part Iron Range mining commentary series for the Hibbing Daily Tribune, the first of which ran today. I have decided that instead of running the two-part series here on the blog, I’ll release an…
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On wormholes and fantasy football
In the movie “Napoleon Dynamite,” caretaker Uncle Rico can’t escape past mistakes. “If I had a time machine,” he said, “you’d better believe things would be different.” He was referring to a football game in which he didn’t even play, but also life. So, too, go the folk mantras of many among us this week…
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Summer ends with turtle-racing flourish
Summer lives, of course. It’s still kind of nice outside. The leaves are still kind of green. The calendar places the start of fall in September, but we all know that’s junk. Tomorrow I’ll pilot the car early in the morning to teach a college class for something called “Fall Semester” and how can you argue…
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Alas, my shirt is also on vacation
Alas, my shirt is also on vacation By Aaron J. Brown Every human on earth traces his or her origins to people who once conducted their affairs entirely shirtless. These people may have walked the plains of Africa, the rocky crags of Europe, the wilds of North America or the Asian Steppe. Wherever they roamed,…
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The lazy heat of summer’s last act
The lazy heat of summer’s last act By Aaron J. Brown In the pioneer days of Minnesota, sod huts overflowing with Scandinavian stoicism, summer was a time of endless work. From sunup to sundown men and women toiled to complete tasks necessary for the family to survive the long, coming winter. I imagine some of…
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The developing social contract of a new generation
This is my Sunday column for the Aug. 4, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. The developing social contract of a new generationBy Aaron J. Brown When I graduated from high school in 1998, my classmates and I walked out of the Cherry High School gym and formed a receiving line to shake hands…
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Nerds among us
This is my Sunday column for the July 28, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece aired yesterday on Northern Community Radio’s “Between You and Me.” PROGRAM NOTE: you can hear the latest Grand Rapids episode of my Great Northern Radio Show today (Sunday) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.…
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Hail to Lake Agassiz, the mighty inland sea
This is my Sunday column for the July 21, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Hail to Lake Agassiz, the mighty inland seaBy Aaron J. Brown Living in the woods you get used to driving. You get used to complaining about gas prices, as though the 25 cent fluctuations common to any given summer…
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Origins of sport
This is my Sunday column for the July 14, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Origins of sportBy Aaron J. Brown Tuesday brings one of my favorite events in all of summer, Major League Baseball’s All-Star game. This might seem a bit strange to some, as the all-star game is often not very good.…
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Fly, bird, fly
This is my Sunday column for the July 7, 2013 Hibbing Daily Tribune. Fly, bird, flyBy Aaron J. Brown No one who lives in the woods lives alone. Sometimes amid the din of family life we forgot that we share our address with thousands of creatures who regard us with the same indifference we usually…
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A Midsummer’s Range Dream
This is my Sunday column for the June 30, 2013 Hibbing Daily Tribune. Thanks to everyone who attended or listened to last night’s Great Northern Radio Show at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids. Stay tuned for the rebroadcast at 10 a.m. on July 6. A Midsummer’s Range Dream By Aaron J. Brown * With apologies…
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Dispatch from the army worm front
This is my Sunday column for the June 23, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Dispatch from the army worm frontBy Aaron J. Brown The forest tent caterpillar is actually quite an attractive little critter if you happen to observe just one of them. Blue-green, speckled white and black, the caterpillar seems a friendly…
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May the force be with you this Father’s Day
This is my Sunday column for the June 16, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. May the force be with you this Father’s DayBy Aaron J. Brown Before we begin, I must disclose that my credentials as a full-fledged Star Wars nerd are pretty thin. I saw all the movies as a kid, of…
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Summer madhouse open for business
This is my Sunday column for the June 9, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Summer madhouse open for businessBy Aaron J. Brown The time is 6 a.m. One of our boys stands four inches from my wife’s sleeping face. We don’t know how long he has been there. “I’m bored!” he screams into…
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Minnesota’s true past becomes clearer in ‘Land of the Dakota’
This is my Sunday column for the June 2, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Congratulations to Gwen Westerman and Bruce White for winning the Minnesota Book Award for “Mni Sota Makoce.” Minnesota’s true past becomes clearer in ‘Land of the Dakota’By Aaron J. Brown “Human beings have recorded their relationships with places in…