Culture

​The Gorman dogfight

December 14th, 2016

As you enjoy the crisp, clear Midwestern air and gaze up at the stars this winter, taking comfort in the security that a place like Fargo has to offer, it could be hard to feel any sense of unease. It could be hard to think that anything strange or otherworldly could effect a place like this. Unless, of course, one of those “stars” you were looking at happened to move in a strange way.

Let me fill you in on a little secret:

On the evening of October 1, 1948, while participating in a…

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​SantaCon returns: Downtown fun and philanthropy

December 7th, 2016

The SantaCon Pub Crawl for the Gladys Ray Shelter and Veterans Drop-In Center returns to Downtown Fargo Saturday, December 10, beginning at 1pm with a kick-off at Rooter’s Bar.

But this is not your average pub crawl, as participants are (1) in costume; (2) in the holiday spirit; and (3) donating money and much-needed toiletry, clothing, and other items for a local homeless and veteran’s shelter.

Fargo SantaCon is in its seventh year and is one of the increasing number of SantaCon…

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​Moorhead sin city

December 7th, 2016

Frank Engel’s Prohibition moonshine operation in a north Fargo basement: photo by Markus Krueger

“When I used to go to Ralph’s, people would say that it used to be a speakeasy -- which is half true,” says Markus Krueger, Programming Director at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, “it was two separate speakeasies, and every building on that block was a speakeasy, or they housed the people who worked there.”

He went on to say, “Three blocks surrounding first avenue north in Moorhead had almost as many places where you could illegally buy alcohol in 1927 as…

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​Steps in the right direction

December 7th, 2016

Run a Google image search for “diversity in video games,” and the first result you’re likely to get is a collage of several 20-30 year old white guys, usually with a little scruff on their face.

From the Assassin’s Creed to the Call of Duty, there’s a lot of homogenization among AAA video game protagonists. Female characters, when they appear, are often in need of saving rather than taking center stage and saving the world themselves. None of this, of course, is even…

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Transgender History Part One

December 7th, 2016

There were a number of people asking me why our public plans in North Dakota don’t cover transgender surgery. The easy answer to this is that they don’t legally have to, but I feel it is more important to understand the history that led to there being no coverage. Specifically, I’ll be going over the history of being transgender by looking at how culture, medicine, and feminism have viewed transgender individuals and the effect these forces have had on each other and on trans…

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Overpriced textbooks: how to deal with reading lists

December 1st, 2016

By Ben Haugmo

benhaugmo@yahoo.com

It is by now widely accepted that the price of college textbooks is too high. I’ve heard horror stories of single volumes ranging in price from $100 to $300, which are then barely opened over the course of the semester.

Luckily, alternatives exist. Students rarely have to purchase brand new books anymore, thanks to online vendors and rental programs. There’s a growing trend of utilizing free online resources in lieu of traditional textbooks. In some…

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Transgender Health Insurance Basics

November 30th, 2016

By Faye Seidler

Insurance can be an incredibly confusing and complex thing for anyone, but it gets even harder when a person has unique medical needs that aren’t always obviously addressed in a coverage plan. As such, I’ll be covering the basics of what to look for in insurance coverage and what it means for transition related care. I’ll also be going over what each public health insurance company in North Dakota covers in terms of transitioning services.

Keep in mind that even if…

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The joke’s on you

November 22nd, 2016

Darcy Corbitt

Last April, controversial comedian Ralphie May found himself in a sticky situation after an old joke concerning Native Americans surfaced, resulting in the cancellation of a gig in Bemidji. As a result, shows in Fargo, Sioux Falls and Burnsville were postponed “out of respect for the Native American community and safety for all parties,” according to a statement issued by promoter Jade Presents.

Ralphie May made his apologies and is coming back to Fargo next month--but he’s…

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​Hard drive workings

November 22nd, 2016

By Chuck Solly

rcsolly@gmail.com

A most critical part of your computer: the hard drives these days come in two forms, the spinning platter type and the solid state drive (SSD). You can use either type to store your data and both types can blow up in your face.

Some of the things I tell you today can hurt your system (and therefore your data). If you are a newbie, call someone who knows, or email me and I will point you in the correct direction for help.

Firstly, hard drives always fill up.…

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​Support your local economy at Small Business Saturday

November 22nd, 2016

In the modern economy, starting a small business can be a large task. Procuring the licenses and permits necessary, stocking your establishment with the right supplies, and refurbishing interiors is already a daunting task without the looming threat of multinational corporations and big box stores that could easily crush it.

In spite of that, we can’t forget that small and local businesses are the lifeblood of not just communities but the country at large. Fortunately, Fargo-Moorhead…

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