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COLUMN: Everything’s heaven in 2011
This is my annual “predictions” column for the Jan. 2, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Everything’s heaven in 2011By Aaron J. Brown My clomp-clomping boots flatten the frozen swamp grass like corn flakes along the Canadian National rail line somewhere off Highway 7 south of Zim. I’m running now not just because I’m…
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Top MinnesotaBrown posts for 2010
Another year has come and gone. In keeping with a recent tradition I now highlight some of my top Google Analytics posts from 2010. After the list I’ll share a few favorites that never caught on. MOST READ POSTS About my friend Tom Anzelc — I hate that this one came out on top but…
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True Grit
This is a movie review, of sorts, which I don’t normally do and don’t plan to do all that often except when I feel like it. Tuesday night for my birthday I decreed that we would see “True Grit,” the Coen Brothers adaptation of the Charles Portis novel which also beget the 1969 John Wayne…
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Ice dams are a thing
Reuban Saltzman from the Structure Tech Home Inspection Blog has a great post today on the MinnPost “Blog Cabin” about how to prevent or address ice dams. If you don’t know what an ice dam is you were just like me before I moved into my first 1920s-built home on the Iron Range. They are…
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Spreading link love outside the metro
I heard from a new blogger in Chisago County, Minnesota, running a site called Fiefdom Politics. She seems to focus on local and regional issues in the southern part of Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District. I can’t promise I’ll do this every time I hear from someone but there are so few blogs focusing on northern…
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The question facing the Iron Range
I had another conversation about the Iron Range yesterday. I have these talks from time to time. Along with a few working historians, a few journalists and no shortage of political leaders, I’m one of the people who get the call when someone wants the story — the real deal — about the Iron Range…
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Bring on the top news lists, including bears
The Duluth News Tribune released its annual list of the top 10 northern Minnesota news stories for 2010. I don’t argue with the top story, the Republican gains and defeat of Jim Oberstar in Minnesota’s Eighth District. That was easy, though. The editorial decisions made after that are dubious, in my opinion. I wasn’t going…
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COLUMN: Top words of 2010: Spillcam is not what you think
This is my annual “top words of the year” column for the Dec. 26, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Thanks for reading and supporting my work in 2010! On to a new year of stories and possibilities. Top words of 2010: Spillcam is not what you thinkBy Aaron J. Brown When I opened…
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It IS a Wonderful Life
Merry Christmas from MinnesotaBrown.com! I’ll be on a special prerecorded Christmas morning edition of “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE. The show will cover many different aspects of Christmas, along with some appropriate tunes. My essay will explore the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s dubbed a holiday classic though I’ll be talking about…
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Must be Santa
A year old now but still worth a play. Iron Ranger uses accordion to reinterpret classic Christmas song. Also, bar fight. Related posts: No related posts.
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Inside the Christmas tree
In honor of Christmas I’m sharing some bonus content this week. Here’s an essay I wrote for KAXE a couple weeks ago. The topic for the show that week was “Christmas Trees.” Inside the Christmas tree By Aaron J. Brown HOST INTRO: It’s Between You and Me on KAXE. Today, with the holiday season upon…
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Porky Pig sings Blue Christmas
Sometimes the remake is better than the original. Porky Pig sings Blue Christmas. Merry (blue) Christmas! Related posts: No related posts.
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Duluth Metals and Magnetation make the news
Here’s a couple developments in Iron Range mining projects. Unless something blows up this is my last newsy post for a while. Holiday features and good times on the way. Duluth Metals has acquired Franconia Minerals, consolidating two proposed nonferrous underground copper mining initiatives. This will simplify permitting and capitalization. We spent plenty of time…
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The Ocho lives!
Minnesota has retained its 8 Congressional seats after the release of today’s U.S. Census numbers. It was literally the last state “on the bubble” for losing a seat, just narrowly edging out Missouri. Minnesota gained population but not at the national average rate. Texas is the big winner, gaining four (!) seats, mostly in Hispanic…
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Good thing we can explain this
There’s a total lunar eclipse tonight to go along with the gorgeous but haunting yellow moon I saw over the treeline on the northwestern horizon this early morning. I was out on the country road by our house in northern Minnesota waiting for the bus with my kindergartner who was seeing his first yellow moon.…