-
Trap shooting trend a blast for Minnesota youth
In America’s swirling political vortex of gun policy debate, one thing seems to be fairly non-controversial. Clay pigeons deserve to eat my child’s hot lead. Trap-shooting is the fastest-growing trend in high school youth activities in the state of Minnesota. This, according to a May 30 Bob Shaw story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.…
-
On ‘The Americans’ and the burden of secrets
In 2012, I joined many liberals in laughing off Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s assertion that Russia remained the biggest threat to American interests. Russia? That’s Cold War thinking. We’re living in a bold new world full of complex threats. Well, that’s only half right. The threats are complex, but we’ve since learned that the ghost…
-
Minnesota’s summer clock more ticks than tocks
I’ve heard a version of the following statement from several different people this year: “I’m not worried about lightning, thunderstorms or tornados, but I am worried about ticks.” This from the hearty meat-and-potatoes stock of Northern Minnesota, people who chip ice off their beards to eat food they killed with a crossbow. You know it’s got…
-
The real problem behind legislative chaos
I teach communication at a community college. I am the loathsome cur who assigns students to complete group work. Students often hate group work. Some don’t like the “group” part; others dislike the “work” component. In any event, relative strangers suddenly find their grade hooked onto someone else’s wagon. They become interdependent, whether they like it…
-
FARGO, Season 3, Ep. 6: “The Lord of No Mercy”
The FX series “Fargo” takes viewers on a “true crime” adventure through the snow-swept landscape of Minnesota. Based on the Coen Brothers Academy Award winning film “Fargo,” each season of the TV series explores a new story cast from the themes of innocence lost, human failings, and the redemptive power of goodness. Northern Minnesota author Aaron J. Brown…
-
There be titanium dioxide in them thar’ hills
If you’ve never heard of titanium dioxide, you’d qualify as normal. But you’ve probably used white paint, eaten red candy, or applied sunscreen before. All of those products use titanium dioxide. So do plastics and some electronics. The stuff sells at $3,200 per metric ton. Today, researchers release a report showing that the Iron Range region could…
-
Koochiching County at the crossroads
Last Thursday, I was part of a panel for a “Policy and a Pint” forum about Northern Minnesota employment issues. The Citizen’s League and MPR’s The Current sponsored the event. One of the big themes to emerge from the dialogue was the idea that Northern Minnesota needs to attract people. Returning young professionals, yes, but…
-
Sue Hakes of Grand Marais to explore MN-8 bid
With Congressman Rick Nolan considering a run for governor, a potential Democratic candidate for his Eighth Congressional District seat announced her exploratory committee today. Sue Hakes, who previously served as Cook County Commissioner and Mayor of Grand Marais, will test the field as Nolan considers his future. “When I think about Minnesota’s Eighth District, I think…
-
Dylan Fest 2017 honors Northern MN’s own Bob Dylan
Every May, Bob Dylan’s shared hometowns of Duluth, where he was born, and Hibbing, where he grew up, celebrate music, poetry and culture in his honor. This year, Dylan is fresh off his Nobel Prize for Literature. And while the former Bobby Zimmerman isn’t expected to appear at this year’s festivities, a full lineup of…
-
FARGO, Season 3, Ep. 5: “The House of Special Purpose”
The FX series “Fargo” takes viewers on a “true crime” adventure through the snow-swept landscape of Minnesota. Based on the Coen Brothers Academy Award winning film “Fargo,” each season of the TV series explores a new story cast from the themes of innocence lost, human failings, and the redemptive power of goodness. Northern Minnesota author Aaron J. Brown…
-
Northeast Minnesota labor trends like a rummage sale
This week I’ll be taking part in Policy and a Pint, a discussion series sponsored by the Citizen’s League and MPR’s The Current. The event, titled “Talent Within the Range,” runs from 6-8 p.m. tomorrow, May 18, at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm. (Tickets are free; sign up here). In honor of the occasion, I’ll…
-
Aluminum and automation: our workforce confounded
This week I’ll be taking part in Policy and a Pint, a discussion series sponsored by the Citizen’s League and MPR’s The Current. The event, titled “Talent Within the Range,” runs from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 18, at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm. (Tickets are free; sign up here). In honor of the occasion, I’ll…
-
School’s out for fish: hook, line and existentialism
This weekend brings Minnesota’s fishing opener, Mother’s Day, and the beginning of graduation season. These annual events affect us all, but none so much as local fish. Thus, today’s play in three acts. We begin in the weeds: FISH: Mother! Oh, mother, I am to graduate! MOTHER: Who are you? FISH: It is I, your…
-
Minnesota leaders share bipartisan anti-fish aggression
For one day each year Minnesota politicians are judged on a bipartisan scale of how many fish they catch in a high pressure situation. The Minnesota fishing opener was today, meaning that anglers can catch larger fish like walleye, northern pike, and bass. Each year, the governor of our state hosts a major event celebrating…
-
FitBit names Duluth ‘fittest city in America’
In what’s either a tremendous bragging point or a disturbing product of a corporate surveillance state, FitBit announced this week that Duluth, Minnesota, is the “fittest city in America.” FitBit formed this conclusion from tracking fitness data like steps, activity and sleep duration from its customers across the nation. To be perfectly fair, all this…