Minnesota Brown

Minnesota Brown: Modern Life on the Iron Range

Category: columns

  • COLUMN: "The toys indicator"

    COLUMN: "The toys indicator"

    This is my column for the Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. The toys indicatorBy Aaron J. Brown So some of the mines, not all of the mines (including none of the mines closest to Hibbing) are back to work here on northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. We are supposed to feel…

  • COLUMN: ‘Pull the wagon forever’

    COLUMN: ‘Pull the wagon forever’

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Sept. 6 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Pull the wagon foreverBy Aaron J. Brown When orbiting the moon, I’m told, one must mind the dark side. On the dark side of the moon there is no light, no radio contact with earth and a conceptual progressive…

  • COLUMN: "The Beatles behind us"

    COLUMN: "The Beatles behind us"

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece ran Aug. 29 on KAXE’s “Between You and Me.” The Beatles behind usBy Aaron J. Brown On Sept. 9, 2009, the complete audio catalogue of The Beatles will be re-released with digitally re-mastered…

  • COLUMN: ‘Remember the good new days’

    COLUMN: ‘Remember the good new days’

    This was my weekly column for the Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. You might also hear a version of this piece on a future edition of KAXE’s “Between You and Me.” Remember the good new daysBy Aaron J. Brown I’m still not old, but “young” is now a highly contextual…

  • COLUMN: ‘Blinded by berries’

    COLUMN: ‘Blinded by berries’

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece ran on an edition of KAXE’s “Between You and Me” program. Blinded by berriesBy Aaron J. Brown So I’ve been picking raspberries lately. I moved out to the country a few years ago…

  • COLUMN: A legacy of words and dreams

    COLUMN: A legacy of words and dreams

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Relevant disclosures: Tom Anzelc is a personal friend and I run his campaigns. I am also a co-organizer of Dylan Days. A legacy of words and dreamsBy Aaron J. Brown I share a unique experience with many, if…

  • COLUMN: The long fade

    COLUMN: The long fade

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece was broadcast during a recent episode of 91.7 KAXE‘s “Between You and Me.” The long fadeBy Aaron J. Brown There’s a moment during any popular song in which the singer, songwriter and/or producer…

  • COLUMN: ‘The gap holding back our kids, our economy’

    COLUMN: ‘The gap holding back our kids, our economy’

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, July 26 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. It expands on some of the topics I was talking about last week. I expect this will be more like the beginning of the debate than the end. The gap holding back our kids, our economyBy Aaron J. Brown…

  • COLUMN: Watch for the turtles

    COLUMN: Watch for the turtles

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, July 19, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece was part of last week’s edition of “Between You and Me” on KAXE. Watch for the turtlesBy Aaron J. Brown Each year turtles crawl from an ancient landscape into our modern world. Lately…

  • COLUMN: The Wienermobile rides full circle

    COLUMN: The Wienermobile rides full circle

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, July 12, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. For frequent readers of this blog, fear not, this is the last time you should have to read about the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile here for some time. The Wienermobile rides full circleBy Aaron J. Brown You may have…

  • COLUMN: ‘Swimming lessons for life’

    COLUMN: ‘Swimming lessons for life’

    This is my weekly column for the Sunday, July 5, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this essay was featured on an episode of “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE recently. Swimming lessons for lifeBy Aaron J. Brown I live in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, in a northern…

  • No band, no music, no art, no soul, no future, Unless

    No band, no music, no art, no soul, no future, Unless

    After reading an AP story (link from WCCO) I wrote this column in one sitting. This is my weekly column for the Sunday, June 28, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. I’m posting it on publication day because I want the conversation to begin Monday morning across the Iron Range. No band, no music,…

  • COLUMN: The good life isn’t always cute

    COLUMN: The good life isn’t always cute

    This is my column for today’s edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. It would appear that a major family announcement for the Gosselins is slated for Monday, so this ended up being pretty topical. The good life isn’t always cuteBy Aaron J. Brown Our twin boys are hitting age 2 soon and one thing is…

  • Minnesota: Still different or same dif? A big, big question

    Minnesota: Still different or same dif? A big, big question

    This is my weekly column published yesterday in the Hibbing Daily Tribune. You’ll recognize some of this from blog posts I’ve done in the past. In fact, as my column goes this is among the hodge-podgiest I’ve done in some time. Minnesota: Still different or same dif? A big, big questionBy Aaron J. Brown Both…

  • COLUMN: ‘You don’t need a weatherman’

    COLUMN: ‘You don’t need a weatherman’

    This was my weekly column published in the Sunday, June 7, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. You don’t need a weathermanBy Aaron J. Brown Have you ever received a gift that became much more than a gift? Have you ever received a gift that became an obsession? Flashback: Christmas 2008. It was a…