Category Archives: Being a Citizen

Taking an active part in public life, working for the common good ‘in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom’

November 3: The End of Civilization as We Know It (Again)

This isn’t the first time I’ve voted during a pandemic, but it’s the first time I’ve had reason for extra caution. That’s why I voted by mail this year. The election results will please or disappoint me. Or, more likely, … Continue reading

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Election-Year Weirdness: An American Tradition

A presidential election is looming in my country. We have one every four years. Maybe I’d get more attention by demonizing or deifying a candidate. Or saying that nobody should vote, because “they” put subliminal messages in ballots. Oddly enough, … Continue reading

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Back from the Hospital: The Masked Minnesotan Rides Again

I didn’t feel all that sick Friday evening. That was August 21, 2020: 45 days ago. Online self-assessment guides from the Minnesota Department of Health and Mayo Clinic put me on the threshold of needing to call a doctor. My … Continue reading

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COVID-19 and Minnesota Masks

Good news: the SARS-CoV-2 virus isn’t killing us nearly as fast as it was in April, May and the first part of June. Bad news: the COVID-19 pandemic is still in progress. Minnesotans are still dying. So are folks in … Continue reading

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Storms, COVID-19 and Politics

Several decades back, while I was living with my parents in Moorhead, Minnesota, a radio announcer read the day’s weather forecast. Nothing unusual about that. The forecast was another matter. As I recall, the National Weather Service was telling us … Continue reading

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