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NewsCut

When flushing nails down a toilet, leave the mail at home

The story of the mysterious nail flusher qualifies as among the most bizarre of the year, but we've at least learned some practical advice: Don't flush your mail down the toilet
by Bob Collins

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NBA deal a sign that ‘TV is dead’

With any luck at all, an announcement today may finally free professional sports from the tyranny of cable TV.
by Bob Collins

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When is a good age to die?

When is a good age to die?

Back when I was in the sixth grade, I thought that 60 would be a good time to die. What's the point, I reasoned, of living to be so old? This year I turned 60. I long ago realized that sixth graders aren't that bright on matters of longevity.
by Bob Collins

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Ode to an old-school radio journalist

Ode to an old-school radio journalist

Mike Simonson, longtime reporter for Wisconsin Public Radio, died suddenly on Sunday.
by Bob Collins

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At least Peace Bubble Man tried

At least Peace Bubble Man tried

Reza Baluchi had the right idea. He wanted to "run" through dozens of countries to raise a little awareness for the fleeting concept that maybe people should stop trying to kill each other, and that a little more effort should be put into helping the world's children.
by Bob Collins

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How a Minnesota man won an airplane

How a Minnesota man won an airplane

The mission was clear: Quickly get to know a Litchfield resident I'd never met before, figure out a way to get into the passenger seat of his airplane on one particular Sunday when he might not be interested in flying and coordinate an air rendezvous with a refurbished 1963 Debonair airplane at which time Steve Lagergren, 43, would be told he had won the airplane.
by Bob Collins

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Revisiting Kalavela

Early in the summer, I was driving the back way from Hibbing when I stumbled across Kalavela, MN., and, in particular, this church, which was built in 1915. It was a delight to explore and I wrote about it here, imagining this place as the center of town and retracing the steps of Finnish pioneers. Or maybe not. We heard this week from Owen Gaard, who calls Soldotna, Alaska home now.
by Bob Collins

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Minnesota the poster child for getting taken by NFL?

Minnesota the poster child for getting taken by NFL?

The New York Times’ Michael Powell makes Minnesotans look like suckers in his I-had-to-see-for-myself column in his newspaper today. Powell visited Minneapolis to see the taxpayer-funded palace being built for Zygi Wilf and his Minnesota Vikings. There’s not a lot of “new” in the column — the Vikings put one over on Gov. Dayton by…
by Bob Collins

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1,000 Words: The commute

1,000 Words: The commute

Bangladeshi commuters board a train as they rush home to be with their families in remote villages, ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.
by Bob Collins

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