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Our dog is still alive and other Christmas news
So we sent out our Christmas cards which were actually just letters, and photocopied letters at that. I’ve read the etiquette columns and I know such documents should be augmented with personal notes, ribbons and probably glitter, but we just sent out the black and white photo letter. We have three boys under the age…
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Brown on the Air: Winter Wonderland
The long Christmas weekend begins Saturday with the topic of KAXE’s “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE: Winter Wonderland. We northern Minnesotans live in just such a wonderland. My essay is about how recent unusual winters have been a drag for our local snow enthusiasts. Only it’s supposed to be funnier than how I…
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City folk find us quaint
My first couple of weeks posting for www.mnblue.com have been interesting. Check out and join the discussion on my latest post, which I published here a couple days ago. MNBlue is a bit Twin Cities-centered, so I feel like a stranger in a strange land sometimes. Related posts: No related posts.
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Compare and contrast
Check out this story on a potential new “clean coal” plant in central Illinois. A few interesting facts: The U.S. Energy Dept. is questioning the costs for the $1.8 billion price tag, expecting overruns. All the project supporters cite the geology of central Illinois and the close proximity of coal supplies as major reasons to…
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Big Brother is NOT watching Buhl
An update: The people of Buhl have spoken. The city is now backing off plans to install surveillance cameras on the streets of this small Iron Range town. Now the midnight riots may continue unabated. The feds are still listening to our phone calls, but at least public urination laws remain difficult to enforce. Related…
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Project Firefly
Check out this press release about “Project Firefly.” I’ve heard about this before and it seems like an interesting way to enhance homegrown economic development near Ely. It would be a pilot project that could be duplicated across the entire Iron Range or any area like ours. Essentially, inventors are given funding to take their…
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Hey you, Dow Jones guy
I just watched President Bush’s year-end press conference. I noticed that, with the exception of reporters who have specifically pissed him off in the past (David Gregory), he refers to the reporters by their organization’s assigned seat. “OK, first up, Associated Press guy.” My favorite was this exchange. BUSH: Dow Jones guy. How’s the market?…
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The truth about presidential politics
I am going to tell the truth. There is nothing I can offer here that will bring an sort of understanding to the 2008 presidential nomination races in either party. It’s all up to 80,000 people in Iowa and another 100,000 in New Hampshire. Who’s a flyover state now, Big City? In honor of the…
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Vote on Santa question
Don’t forget to vote on the Quick Poll. Santa Claus is: A) RealB) Not RealC) Real in our heartsD) State Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) Right now, “real in our hearts” is leading Bakk by a nose. A bright red Rudolph nose. Related posts: No related posts.
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How to win the Iron Range
This is the second long post in a series about the political climate on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. I cross post these kinds of things with www.mnblue.com and my own www.minnesotabrown.blogspot.com. Last week I talked about how Range politics centers on personal relationships. The region blends social conservatism with economic liberalism to create a unique…
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Miners’ health study carries hefty price tag
Yesterday, lawmakers learned that it will cost $5.5 million to do a study about the effects of the taconite mining process on miners’ health. For years, anecdotal evidence and incomplete reports have suggested a link between working in the mining industry and a rare form of cancer. The question now becomes, do people in power…
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Big Brother is Watching Buhl
Ah, Buhl. When will we ever learn to understand your ways? This is an AP synopsis of a story from the Mesabi Daily News: Iron Range town mulls surveillance cameras placed around townThe Associated Press – Sunday, December 16, 2007 BUHL, Minn. — Law enforcement officials in the Iron Range town of Buhl want to…
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My moustache mistake
I made a dumb mistake in my column yesterday. In a (mostly) satirical column I suggested that Minnesota trade its high-profile Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty to North Dakota for its Republican Gov. John Hoeven, a bunch of steaks and two nuclear weapons. In the column I say that Minnesota hasn’t had a governor with a…
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Trade talk could be applied elsewhere
The whole debate got me thinking: What if we could trade away people in politics or the media for prospects? It could solve some problems. Therefore I have decided to propose several non-sports trades for our state and region. The first big trade I suggest is to send Minnesota’s Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty to North…
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As sure as B.S. trails a boondoggle
Come on down, Iron Range! It’s time for another fun episode of “Logical Fallacy.” Yesterday, Xcel Energy — the largest and most influential energy company in the state — said they aren’t going to invest in any new coal plants until the government decides on firm carbon limits or until the cost of cleaner coal…