Author Archives: Ralph Hanson

Riding with Strangers 2022 – Trails to Rails Scavenger Hunt Part 1

For the last several years, each summer I do a national-scale motorcycle scavenger hunt run by a  motorcycle club out of Minnesota known as Team Strange. Each year it has a theme. This year’s Grand Tour is called Trails to … Continue reading

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Questions Worth Asking (Maybe) – Smartphone privacy, SCOTUS leaks, scholastic censorship, COVID-19 & stress release

Lots of questions need to be asked and answered this week: Would your smartphone know if you had an abortion? Quite possibly, and that information would likely be for sale.  Would your smartphone know if you had an abortion? There … Continue reading

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8, 10 & 39 – Numerical titles cover a variety of sins over the years: A Year In Movies 2021 – Part 8

In December of 2020, when it became clear we were not going to be returning to normal life any time soon, we purchased a big honking 55-inch 4K TV and settled in for a year of watching movies at home. By Dec. … Continue reading

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What is the DeSantis v. Disney battle really about?

Note: See bottom of post for updates on this story. It’s been hard to miss the recent battle going on between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s largest employer – Disney Corp.  Gov. DeSantis wants to take away tax … Continue reading

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Movies on Twitter: Representation, Nimona Rescued from Disney, & Respect for Animation

I know, I know, this is my third consecutive post on movies, and the next one is likely to be about movies, too. Little obsessed with them lately. We’ll get back to exciting media corporate mergers soon, I promise! Why … Continue reading

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1952’s The Narrow Margin is a noir thrill ride: A Year in Movies 2021 – Part 7

In December of 2020, when it became clear we were not going to be returning to normal life any time soon, we purchased a big honking 55-inch 4K TV and settled in for a year of watching movies at home. By Dec. … Continue reading

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1976’s King Kong to 2019’s Godzilla King of the Monsters: A Year in Movies 2021 – Part 6

In December of 2020, when it became clear we were not going to be returning to normal life any time soon, we purchased a big honking 55-inch 4K TV and settled in for a year of watching movies at home. By Dec. … Continue reading

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What does the 1st Amendment and Freedom of Speech Really Mean?

The New York Times is getting a fair amount of static for the opening paragraph of their editorial about the First Amendment and free speech this morning. Here’s the headline and first two paragraphs: America Has a Free Speech Problem … Continue reading

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Media News on Twitter: Journalist killed in Ukraine, disinformation, Disney v. Employees on gay rights & TV news

American journalist/documentarian killed covering war in Ukraine Our Nieman Fellow Brent Renaud was gifted and kind, and his work was infused with humanity. He was killed today outside Kiev, and the world and journalism are lesser for it. We are … Continue reading

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Old movies don’t always seem that old: A Year in Movies 2021 – Part 5

In December of 2020, when it became clear we were not going to be returning to normal life any time soon, we purchased a big honking 55-inch 4K TV and settled in for a year of watching movies at home. … Continue reading

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