Cans and Going High Tech

When I was a kid in the 70s, we played kick the can. Almost every night during summer, when the sun went down, kids in the neighborhood gathered in a back yard with the Folgers or Maxwell House coffee can — or a Well’s Blue Bunny ice cream bucket (gallon-sized) — for an hour or [...]

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Why I’m Not A Catholic: Reason #11

Today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Minnesota’s Roman Catholic bishops will launch a new effort against same-sex marriage. Their plan? To mail out a DVD to parishioners across the state, which explains the church’s teaching on marriage and describes the possible effects of allowing same-sex marriage in Minnesota. Good luck with that. As Catholic [...]

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Health Care “On Us”

It’s an upward spiral that seemingly will not end any time soon. I’m talking about the cost of health insurance and specifically the cost that you and I – Joe and Jane consumer – get to bear to have adequate health plans that take care of our families. In this Wall Street Journal story, reporter [...]

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Hello Blog. It’s Been A While

A quick scroll of the page tells you the writing bug inside me went into hibernation as the cooler months began to envelop Minneapolis. What’s with the lack of posts, you ask? Good question. Without making excuses, I’ll just say the past few months have been good to me. My oldest made it through her [...]

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For My Mom: 9.23.19 – 9.25.09

I am going to tell you a story about a woman who lived her life striving to give what she had to those closest to her – unselfishly and without regard to her own needs. This is a story about each one of us as well. The story begins — and ends — in Southern, [...]

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The Ugly Face of Elitism

Elitists feel they have outstanding personal abilities, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or some other distinctive attributes, and therefore their views and ideas must be taken more seriously or carry more weight. In addition, they may assume special privileges and responsibilities and feel they have earned certain rights that others do not or should [...]

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Spirited Christmas, Then and Now

Christmas time is here We’ll be drawing near Oh, that we could always see Such spirit through the year” Plenty of Christmas childhood memories float around my head this time of year. Like the several-year-stretch of purchasing flocked Christmas trees from Del’s Garden Center in Spencer, Iowa. Dad and Mom even bought a red flocked [...]

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High School Student Facebook Bruhaha Continues

In toney Eden Prairie, Minnesota, high school students have been busted. Busted by dozens of photos they or their friends have posted on their profile pages found on social networking pages like Facebook (see the previous post about this story as it broke on Jan. 9). So far, 42 students have been disciplined and 13 [...]

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Recipe for Accepting Dysfunction

In a room filled with 30- to 40-something adults, if a facilitator said, “Who here comes from a dysfunctional family?” how many hands would shoot up? All of them. It’s no joke. While I’m sure “Dr. Phil” might spout off some dumb-ass Texas cliche about dysfunctional families, the bottom line is, all of us hail [...]

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A Birthday for Kiddo No. 1

It’s January 5, and this early in the year, every day is still a great day. But today is special. It’s been this way for 17 years. At 4:30 in the afternoon on Jan. 5, 1991 my daughter came into the world. She’s my first born and I continue to be ecstatic that she’s in [...]

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