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Iron Range kids, Jillian Rae make music with robots
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A roboticist, a trendy singing violin player and a bunch of kids walk into an Iron Range art gallery. No? OK, here goes. Troy Rogers is a composer, musical robot maker, and educator. He specializes in using robots to create unique musical and educational experiences. A Virginia, Minnesota, native of the…
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FLASH: Minnesota cold in winter, especially outside
Minnesota is cold in the winter. Minnesota is the coldest state in the Lower 48 United States. Alaska is colder, but far away. Minnesota has a football team called the “Vikings.” The Vikings are named for the Nordic ancestry of many people here. Vikings were Scandinavian pirates who lived in cold places. They spent years sailing on cold waters. Eventually…
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Cold war bombs in the bogs of Northern MN
I came across a fascinating piece of Northern Minnesota history in this Doug Easthouse article “Bombing the Big Bog” in the Minnesota DNR publication, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. Northern Minnesota gets a lot of attention for its timber and minerals, but it’s also home to many thousand of acres of rich peat bogs. Some of these…
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Actual Wolf: Christmas in Chisholm
Merry Christmas! I wasn’t going to post anything today, but then I ran across this holiday offering from Actual Wolf (aka Eric Pollard). He took an old John Prine melody and penned a timely, funny, heartfelt Iron Range Christmas song. Without further ado, here is Actual Wolf, “Christmas in Chisholm“: Love the lyrics on this…
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My Christmas story in the Star Tribune
Merry Christmas, dear reader. I’m very proud to share this piece I wrote for the Star Tribune, which runs today as part of their “10,000 Takes” essay series. It’s a Christmas story, but much more than that. In fact, I’ve never written anything as personal as this piece, certainly not for a large publication. I’m a little…
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FARGO REVIEW: Season 2 Finale, ‘Palindrome’
The tenth episode and “Fargo” Season 2 finale, entitled “Palindrome” aired last night on FX. What follows is a Minnesota-centric review that contains spoilers. This year, “Fargo” takes us to Southwestern Minnesota in 1979, the same year I was born on the other side of the state. A small town family crime syndicate based in Fargo…
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FARGO REVIEW: Episode 9: ‘The Castle’
The ninth episode of “Fargo” Season 2, entitled “The Castle” aired last night on FX. What follows is a Minnesota-centric review that contains spoilers. This year, “Fargo” takes us to Southwestern Minnesota in 1979, the same year I was born on the other side of the state. A small town family crime syndicate based in Fargo…
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Season 3 of Fargo will be set 2008ish
As many here know, I review the TV show “Fargo” in between my usual fodder about news, politics and life in Northern Minnesota. Last week we learned that Noah Hawley and FX are bringing “Fargo” back for a third season. I even waxed poetic about how I would like to see a season set on the…
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FARGO REVIEW: Episode 8, “Loplop”
The eighth episode of “Fargo” Season 2, entitled “Loplop” aired last night on FX. What follows is a Minnesota-centric review that contains spoilers. This year, “Fargo” takes us to Southwestern Minnesota in 1979, the same year I was born on the other side of the state. A small town family crime syndicate based in Fargo is…
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WWI Christmas Truce musical in Chisholm Dec. 2
War is hell. But the kind of hell seen in The Great War, now known as World War I, is hard to understand today. See, there are terrible wars in our times, but they are fought with an understanding of what modern wars are. In WWI, soldiers were sent to battlefields trained for old wars without…
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Happy Thanksgiving on the Iron Range
Happy Thanksgiving! To you, reader of MinnesotaBrown.com, however you got here, I am thankful for you. This blog doesn’t make much money and it hasn’t made me famous, but it has become a authoritative source for news, commentary, and discussion about Northern Minnesota, my home and the place I love. I didn’t make a…
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FARGO REVIEW: Ep. 7, ‘Did You Do This? No, You Did It!’
The seventh episode of “Fargo” Season 2, entitled “Did You Do This? No, You Did!” aired last night on FX. What follows is a Minnesota-centric review that contains spoilers. This year, “Fargo” takes us to Southwestern Minnesota in 1979, the same year I was born on the other side of the state. A small town family…
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Free Park Friday lets Minnesota hike off the giblets
Last week, state officials announced that the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, would be “Free Park Friday,” in which entrance fees would be waived at all Minnesota State Parks. The goal is to encourage families to enjoy the state park system, spend time together, and stay active after a traditional day of overindulgence. Here at MinnesotaBrown…
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Fargo will be back for third season
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Noah Hawley’s “Fargo” has been renewed for a third season on the FX network. Once again, the new season of “Fargo” will involve an entirely original cast of characters and plot line set in the fictionalized Minnesota landscape first created by hometown filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen. As many of you know, I write…
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Immigrant experience brought to life by Hibbing violinist
Hibbing native and world-traveling violinist Sara Pajunen will appear in her hometown for a special concert at Hibbing Community College on Tuesday night. Here is the information: Exploring the Immigrant Story: Violinist Sara Pajunen will perform Laatikko/Box at the Hibbing Community College Theater on Tuesday, November 24th at 7 p.m. This is a FREE multimedia concert.…