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The evolution and anatomy of the North American graboid
Sometimes, when you really love a particular form of art, examples of that form from the time you found this love are elevated in your mind beyond any position this particular art deserves. So it is for the movie “Tremors” and me. In 1990 I was 10 and very much not allowed to see “Tremors.”…
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LIVE: Klobuchar, Bills debate for MN-SEN
Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race hasn’t drawn much attention this year. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has held large leads over Republican challenger State Rep. Kurt Bills in all major polls. While Klobuchar is indeed likely to prevail in this contest, this morning’s debate in Duluth — one of the few scheduled debates in this…
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"Tempest," other Bob Dylan album downloads for $5
Bob Dylan is out with his latest new album “Tempest.” The Duluth-born, Hibbing-raised poet-musician always draws a lot of attention with his work. The album has received generally strong reviews. My own impression is that “Tempest” seems a major achievement in music and songwriting — more so than even his other recent work — but…
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Look at my teeth! I am happy!
This is my Sunday column for the Sept. 16, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. This is revised from a version of this piece that ran on KAXE’s “Between You and Me” in 2010. ### Look at my teeth! I am happy! By Aaron J. Brown How much time do you spend pretending to…
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AUDIO: "Call Me Maybe," life theme songs & plight of frogs
So I went and did it. I downloaded “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jespen. Sure, I’m late to the party. The song peaked in popularity months ago with the downright literary refrain: “Hey, I just met youand this is crazy,but here’s my number,so call me maybe.” I actually listened to the Cookie Monster parody…
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Remembering the Mesabi Strike of 1907
One-hundred and five years ago this month the first major labor strike on the Mesabi Iron Range was busted by company strikebreakers. Finnish labor leaders were blacklisted from working in the mines. As a great-grandson of Finns (and Norwegians, Swedes and Cornish mining stock), I sit out here typing on a computer in the woods…
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I know raccoons have stripes, but this is ridiculous
A crew painting lines in Gnesen Township near Duluth painted over a dead raccoon. The DNT has the story and, of course, the photograph, which I will refrain from stealing. This is good because it lets everyone from the Mississippi River to the Apostle Islands talk about something other than the strife in the Middle…
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Something heard in a van down by the river: Joel Maturi is Matt Foley?
Iron Range native Joel Maturi’s stint as athletic director at the University of Minnesota got mixed reviews, but it was no small feat for a Chisholm kid from an area so devoted to athletics to rise to the pinnacle of the state’s most storied athletic program. Though Maturi has stepped down as athletic director, this…
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A movie house divided cannot stand
The movie event of the year, according to me: Steven Spielberg directs. The script is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s fantastic book “Team of Rivals.” The best method actor of our times, Daniel Day Lewis, plays Lincoln. I spotted at least three guys in the trailer who could have played Lincoln, too. Related posts: No…
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So much progress; so much repetition
I edited the Hibbing Daily Tribune during its last years as an afternoon newspaper in the early 2000s. We had been experimenting with ways to keep that format alive by running earlier deadlines so we could “be on the stands by lunch.” You know, so all the workers out on their breaks would pour quarters…
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Essar says construction will continue, taconite plant to open on time
An Essar Steel official has contacted me to clarify that work at the company’s new taconite plant near Nashwauk has not stopped. About 100 contractors remain on site in some capacity (I hear electricians and excavators), along with about 100 employees working on other aspects of the project. So Essar is not “shutting down” its…
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A big day for our boys
One of my biggest goals (and struggles) is balancing my desires to work, write and keep projects like this blog going with my need to be a good husband and dad. So excuse me if I take a moment to remark that after a week of limited kindergarten all three of my guys got on…
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Legislative debate season arrives on the Range
I’ll try to pass along news of northern Minnesota legislative forums as I see them. Unlike federal election debates, where candidates are usually fairly polished, legislative debates are often loads of madcap fun. Unfortunately almost no one sees them. They’re like indy bands. Anyway, you should catch some of these and huzzah to anyone who…
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COLUMN: Conventional wisdom
This is my Sunday column for the Sept. 9, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Conventional wisdomBy Aaron J. Brown The two major parties just wrapped up their national conventions: the Republicans in Tampa, Florida; the Democrats in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now President Obama and Gov. Romney begin the sprint to Nov. 6, which…
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Simonson wins DFL nod for Duluth House 7B seat
Duluth assistant fire chief Erik Simonson, who had a bad news week, nevertheless emerged with the DFL endorsement at today’s convention in west Duluth. He narrowly achieved the 60 percent necessary to defeat Julene Boe in one ballot at the lightly-attended contest. Simonson has already been organizing his write-in campaign to replace outgoing Rep. Kerry…