I usually wander around in a state of niceties and fun when I am writing. Nothing too deep or disturbing for me. And I like it that way. But this neutrino detector installation, supposedly very near …

While I respect Mr. Kringstad, I must disagree when it comes to Grant Hauschild.  Hauschild doesn’t represent us. He represents special interests, specifically foreign mining companies.  …

The source of the following letter is an essay by Steven Rattner in a recent New York Times. It documents some of Trump’s promises to the public and subsequent outcomes. His economic promise: “We …

As for President Trump’s proposal to import massive amounts of foreign beef, it’s worth noting that Chinese customs blocked 22 tons of beef from the ArreBeef processing plant in Buenos Aires, …

Summer has packed its saddle bags and is trotting out the door while fall’s Labor Day weekend is entering on a fast horse. As we honor those in the labor movement, I decided to reflect on some of …

Unintended consequences can be a bitch. Just ask Rep. Pete Stauber. Despite the congressman’s latest hysterical outbursts against Gov. Tim Walz over the governor’s recent executive order putting …

There is a large flock of chickadees that visits one of the feeding areas in the bog near where I live every day. They arrive in a whirl of motion and chatter, never seeming to stop moving. One …

It didn’t take long in the wake of last week’s primary election, to hear what is likely to be a primary attack line of Minnesota Republicans in the races for U.S. Senator and governor: fraud in …

I have long accepted that my life comes with an expiration date. That is not meant to sound morbid. It is simply a fact, and one that becomes more relevant as we grow older and accumulate things …

There was a time, not so long ago, when a crisis like a cyberattack on a state’s water infrastructure would draw a president toward the bully pulpit with words of reassurance and resolve. Instead, …

My interest in stoicism was recently piqued by a friend’s comment, and he recommended reading “The Art of Living– the Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness.” The book is an …

We now know why President Donald Trump has pushed so hard for the right to control the makeup of federal regulatory boards that are supposed to be independent. Trump uses his office to grease the …

“Which side are you on?” That question, posed by songwriter Florence Reece in her famous 1931 song, became the unofficial anthem of the protest and union movements for decades— and it’s a …

It’s time for a little update on what’s been happening in my orbit. In the spring, I traveled by plane down to Kansas City, Mo. with my son and his wife to visit my brother, my wonderful …

There was a completely different column planned for this issue. I was going to tell you about a quiet stretch of forest in northern Wisconsin that has come to feel sacred to me. I was going to write …

The closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness due to the ongoing threat from major wildfires is certainly understandable. It is also an economic gut punch for resorts, outfitters, and …

In my last column, I wrote about the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which means “I am because we are” or “humanity toward others.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu described Ubuntu as “the essence of …

For those of us in the North Country, this past week seemed like a little taste of hell. Unprecedented heat, with temperatures topping 100 degrees in the border country. Massive wildfires and choking …

Christmas and the Fourth of July have long competed for the title of America’s most colorful holiday. Christmas has twinkling lights, glittering ornaments, and enough wrapping paper to keep …

The old adage, “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” may hold true in many cases, but when it comes to housing in northern Minnesota, all the will in the world isn’t enough. It also takes …

In my wanderings here and there over the course of my life, there are certain buildings and places that become more embedded in my memory, not by anything visual but by the smells that linger there. …

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit …

In the June 19 issue of the Timberjay, the writer from Winton (‘Platner exposes Democrats hypocrisy’) has the outrageous audacity to call Democrats hypocrites while ignoring the depraved …

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered on a Minneapolis street by Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer. Mr. Floyd was handcuffed at the time and was lying face down when Chauvin knelt on …

We the People find ourselves victims of a ruthless, corrupt, and greedy leadership. When any head of government decides warring on another country is the answer, with peril to our military, they …