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The outside is filthy
Our oldest boy, a first grade lad prone to particularity, spent several minutes wiping mud off his gloves and coat this morning. “Why does the outside have to be so dirty? The outside is filthy.” And indeed it is. Here in Minnesota, a land sometimes known only for snow, we continue one of the mildest,…
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The car is only OK at guitar, but still
Yes, I will share a music video that involves a song about unrequited love and a car that plays all the instruments. OK Go! is known for it’s “one take” music videos, usually involving elaborate choreography of humans and machines. Worth watching. Related posts: No related posts.
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Bluegills fight terrorists to the death
On the wall of my boys’ bedroom is a poster picked up at the county fair a few years ago. It’s a picture of a bluegill with the caption: “The Bluegill: A Creature of Fresh Water.” Bluegills hold a place of honor in our family. My father-in-law is an avid “pan” fisherman who eschews trophies…
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This January heat is a killer
I just went for a walk outside. I had to unzip my coat. I sweat through my shirt. This is Hibbing, Minnesota. The temperatures in northern Minnesota are running 50 degrees warmer than you often see this time of year, a couple dozen degrees above average. There’s almost no snow in open areas, just an…
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Fanning withdraws from MN-8 race
Daniel Fanning, the Iraq war vet and Duluth political organizer, announced Wednesday in a letter to supporters he would withdraw from the race for Congress in Minnesota’s Eighth District. Citing a lack of funds and insufficient support from likely delegates in the DFL endorsement process, Fanning said he will focus on helping the DFL win…
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Privacy Policy for MinnesotaBrown.com
If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at http://www.minnesotabrown.com/2006/08/contact-minnesotabrown.html.At MinnesotaBrown.com we consider the privacy of our visitors to be extremely important. This privacy policy document describes in detail the types of personal information is collected and recorded by MinnesotaBrown and…
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Hoping for a carp-mass miracle
Officials detailed Minnesota’s plans to prevent the northward spread of Asian carp in the state’s rivers and lakes at a meeting this week. Meantime, the Asian carp held a meeting somewhere near Davenport. They weren’t wearing any clothes and by the end of it all the females were pregnant with 10,000 babies. Or was that…
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A ‘mitten state’ slap fight
Michigan and Wisconsin are fighting over who gets to call themselves the “Mitten State.” If you’ve ever met someone from Wisconsin or (lower) Michigan they explain where they are from by holding up their hand like a mitten and pointing at the part of the mitten where they are from. This is fine, even if…
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A cold one; dry though
“Oh, ya, it’s cold, but it ain’t snowy.” “No, dry November, that’s for sure.” “Not good for the septics.” “No, sir.” “Making ice, though.” “Oh, ya, real good. Five inches already. Heard the lake a whumpin’ yesterday.” “Good for skatin.’ Ever skate on a lake?“ “Oh, ya, but it’s been years.” “Fishing soon.” “Ya.” “Bad…
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Mugging for the camera
Duluth News Tribune opinions editor Robin Washington gives us all advice on how to pose for a mugshot photo in the event we are booked on serious charges that could be detailed in a prominent regional newspaper. I accept this advice. Thank you. Related posts: No related posts.
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Happy Turkey Day from MinnesotaBrown.com
Happy Thanksgiving from MinnesotaBrown! Unless major news happens we’ll be going dark for a few days. Indulge my sharing of a snippet from one of my favorite shows of all time. Related posts: No related posts.
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Lock and dammit; the carp are coming!
Several conservation groups have recommended the closing of two Minnesota locks to prevent the spread of Asian carp, which are currently advancing up the Mississippi River. As this Pioneer Press story indicates, closing those locks is a bureaucratic nightmare unlikely to occur. One can’t help but find in the comments of Minnesota officials a sort…
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Eleven Eleven Eleven Eleven Eleven
It’s 11:11 on 11/11/11. Let’s talk about 11. Eleven is the number that says, “Things are about to get different.” Eleven is the number that says, “Stop right there, our numeric system is Base 10.” Eleven teaches kids that one and one does not always make two. Eleven is beyond fingers. It needs more. Eleven…
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Halloween blizzard, 20 years later
Happy Halloween, everyone! Your focus today might be on the kids, trick-or-treating and/or other elaborate adult celebrations. (My Facebook photo feed over the weekend revealed many things about my friends, things that cannot be unseen). But for a lot of us in northern Minnesota, Halloween brings memories of the 1991 Halloween snowstorm. It broke records…
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Daddy wears a Twins cap
NPR’s Robert Krulwich, part of the wonderful program RadioLab, posted an item on the NPR blog entitled “The Tyranny of Fathers.” He explores data showing that the single most important indicator of which sports teams you support is the fan loyalty of your father. Far and away, it’s not even close. Mothers, grandparents and friends…