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COLUMN: Shocked, shocked to find oil in this establishment
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, June 6, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Shocked, shocked to find oil in this establishmentBy Aaron J. Brown I’m supposed to have a very strong opinion about all this BP offshore oil spill down South. That’s what the TV tells me. I guess I do.…
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COLUMN: A furtive glance at an old metal friend
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, May 30, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A shorter version of this piece was broadcast on the recent episode of 91.7 KAXE‘s “Between You and Me.” A furtive glance at an old metal friendBy Aaron J. Brown Having grown up around truckers and mechanics I…
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COLUMN: Goin’ viral (a good thing, I think)
This is my column for the Sunday, May 23, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Goin’ viral (a good thing, I think)By Aaron J. Brown By now, if you are at all inclined to care, you’ve seen the “Come Home Bob” campaign sponsored by the Iron Range Convention and Tourism Board. The gist is…
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A tenderfoot I remain
My column from last week about my failed experience as a Boy Scout and my snarky comments about the Boy Scouts’ new “video game” badge has drawn fire. Today a letter to the editor in the Hibbing Daily Tribune from a regional Scout leader criticized the piece. For one, the “badge” in question is not…
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COLUMN: Away without kids
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, May 16, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Away without kidsBy Aaron J. Brown My current stage in life, a father of three young boys, frightens those without children. This phase provides, after all, a lot of screaming and fluids coupled with a perpetual thundering sound…
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COLUMN: "Video killed the merit badge"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, May 9, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Video killed the merit badgeBy Aaron J. Brown By now you may have heard that the Boy Scouts of America plan to offer a merit badge for playing video games. This is the precise kind of story that…
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COLUMN: "When junk becomes genetic’
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, May 2, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece aired on last week’s episode of “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE. When junk becomes geneticBy Aaron J. Brown With spring safely here we can begin to consider procrastinating on the ritual…
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COLUMN: "A dry spring fires up conversation"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, April 25, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A dry spring fires up conversationBy Aaron J. Brown The big red plane lumbered across the sky like a heavy hawk over Lake Boony, the small but serviceable loch set amid the pines down the path from our…
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COLUMN: "The unspoken deal in pet ownership"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, April 18, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece aired on the April 17 episode of “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE. The unspoken deal in pet ownershipBy Aaron J. Brown “Sammy needs a cheeseburger.” And I don’t mean just a…
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COLUMN: "Bird, not smoke monster"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, April 11, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Bird, not smoke monsterBy Aaron J. Brown The male ruffed grouse, commonly referred to as partridge, is known for its drumming – repetitive mechanical-sounding thumps designed to attract females and declare its territory. Using its powerful wings and…
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COLUMN: "Fiber and Steel"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, April 4, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Fiber and SteelBy Aaron J. Brown I’m going to talk about the Iron Range economy today but it’s not really about the economy, is it? It’s about us. From the workplaces and bars, coffee klatches and school functions,…
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COLUMN: "About that accent"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, March 28, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. An earlier version of the piece aired on “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE. About that accentBy Aaron J. Brown The tricky thing about accents is that no one knows they have an accent until someone else…
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COLUMN: "Where’s my jump suit?"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, March 21, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Where’s my jump suit?By Aaron J. Brown The year is 2010. I can’t be more clear than this. I was promised a jump suit by now and I haven’t received one. In the not-so-distant past science fiction writers…
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COLUMN: "Where ignorance comes natural"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, March 14, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Where ignorance comes naturalBy Aaron J. Brown When the seasons change, skilled naturalists “strut their stuff,” a phrase often associated with certain mating rituals that nature experts customarily abandon when they finally identify all varieties of North American…
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COLUMN: "Rural homeless: out of sight, out of hope?"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, March 7, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. It was originally written for last week but rescheduled to run today. Rural homeless: out of sight, out of hope?By Aaron J. Brown It’s easy to forget that poverty, mental illness and personal crisis leave people homeless in…