October 4th, 2017
Norwegians know how to govern -- just ask Ole and Lena
Sometimes we get the idea from Norwegian Ole and Lena jokes that “Norvegians” play with only 39 cards.
There’s the one about Ole calling the airlines and asking how long it takes to fly from Minneapolis to Fargo. “Just a minute,” said the busy and rather irritated desk clerk. Ole says, “Vell , if it goes that fast, I tink I’ll just take a bus.”
Or there’s the one about Ole talking to his brother Svenn, who lived…
September 27th, 2017
A mixture of despair, extortion, life-saving treatments, and inequality
Fifty-four-year-old Antony Marino of Wise, Virginia keeps a pair of needle-nosed pliers handy so he can pull out a rotting tooth that’s bothering him. He has never been to a dentist. Forty-nine-year-old Joyce Bays tenderizes the meat she eats with a hammer, and cuts it into small pieces because she has no teeth.
Forklift driver Robin Neal has had Type 1 diabetes since age 10 and has pancreatitis, but her…
September 20th, 2017
What kind of characters would charge $99 for a case of water?
In the days before the solar eclipse safety glasses sold for $8.95 for a five-pack of certified glasses. The day before the eclipse the price was raised to $59. During Hurricane Harvey, some gas stations were charging $20 a gallon. The other day I saw a local supermarket selling a 24-bottle case of water for $6.95. During Irma a Florida store was charging $99. An airline out of Houston was charging $6,785 for an economy seat.…
September 13th, 2017
The four horses of the Apocalypse are running wild on the American plains
In the last book of the New Testament, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride around the world on their red, white, black, and pale horses representing Conquest, War, Famine, and Death.
The rider of the white horse held a bow, was given a crown, and rode out as a conqueror. The rider of the red horse was given a large sword to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. The rider of the black horse…
September 6th, 2017
Eight of our presidents staffed the White House with slaves
Sometime in the future we may teach real history, not reality history, not fake history. The truth is eight of our presidents staffed their White House with slaves personally owned by them—and ran a government from a capitol building mainly built by slaves.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, John Tyler, James Polk, and Zachary Taylor, all of the guys who signed that statement about…
August 30th, 2017
How you can earn $12 million a year in the United States
When Martin Shkreli, who had raised the price of an AIDS drug called Daraprim 5,000 percent while he was CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, was arrested for eight counts of unrelated securities fraud, the court found it very difficult to find a jury of his peers who said they could judge his case without prejudice.
His infamous act had received wide coverage in the country. The judge and the attorneys had to question over 200…
August 23rd, 2017
Photo: Wikipedia: Regiment of Armaments surrender Battle of Moscow
‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven’
The recent clashes between white supremacists and American ideals actually started hundreds of years ago in the Jewish pogroms of Europe and Russia, and when the first black slaves were brought to New England in 1619.
About 12.5 million blacks were brought to the U.S., many of them adding billions to slave owners’ profits and the…
August 16th, 2017
Can we learn anything after we know it all?
There’s a 100-page book written by a high school dropout that should be read by all high schoolers, college education students, teachers, and politicians.
Michael J.Fox of movie and TV fame wrote his little manifesto, “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned,” after receiving a number of honorary degrees and doctorates from leading universities while speaking at their graduation ceremonies.…
August 9th, 2017
The world has decided King Donald has made us irrelevant
Fareed Zakaria of the Washington Post and CNN while on assignment in London had a Nigerian man approach him and say with a mixture of outrage and amusement: “Your country has gone crazy. I’m from Africa. I know crazy, but I didn’t think I would say this in America.”
In Dublin, Ireland a young Irish woman told him:”I’ve come to realize that, as a European, I have very different values than America these days. I realized…
August 2nd, 2017
When have-it-alls and well-to-doers don’t want to share any of it
There’s a new novel out about the 19th Century Great Potato Famine, when Ireland lost one million of its population of eight million to starvation and disease, and two million to emigration to other countries, including many thousands to the United States.
Ireland still has a smaller population than it had before the famine. Domesticated in Peru and Bolivia over 7,000 years ago, the potato became the sole subsistence…
_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Fargo Park District will host the Kids Triathlon on Wednesday, July 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at Madison Park and Bicycle Playground, located at 3010 11th Avenue N.…
Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…
July 18-19, 25-26 and August 2-3North Dakota Horse Park, 5180 19th Ave. N., FargoLadies and gentlemen, prepare to place your bets — racing season is upon us! Not just horses will be racing this year; word on the street suggests…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhy doesn’t the world require politicians to leave office at 60?Most of the leaders of countries, whether gods, fascists, democrats or socialists, are not doing very well these days. David Van…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…
By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Sabrina Hornung Wing, North Dakota is a town of 132 located about an hour northwest of Bismarck on Highway 36. There’s a shiny new Cenex on the intersection of the highway and the high…
By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…
