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Hail or hate the Chief & popping the Netflix question
Hail or hate the Chief & popping the Netflix question
06/25/2020

Interesting fact: The most iconic Minnesota chain restaurant, according to some internet source, is Dairy Queen. So next time you miss your hockey pucks and your flip flops in winter, just head on over to Cortez or Aztec for a genuine Minne-Blizzard.

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Return of The Far Side, self flattery and little rED Corvettes
Return of The Far Side, self flattery and little rED Corvettes
06/18/2020

Interesting fact: Want to feel old, no matter your age? “The Far Side” ran for 15 years, and it’s been out of commission for 25. On the plus side, your 1992 “Far Side” calendar will work again this year.

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Not so novel, hidden treasures and flying DEET-ails
Not so novel, hidden treasures and the DEET-ails
06/11/2020
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5G, what to expect when you're expecting & pineapple pizza
5G, what to expect when you're expecting & pineapple pizza
06/04/2020
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Karen conunundrum, about face & black thumbs
Karen conunundrum, about face & black thumbs
05/28/2020

Interesting fact: Dr. I.M. Nick, a nomenclature scholar, says, “The use of a personal name to refer to an entire group(ing) of people is a long-documented, cross-cultural, linguistic phenomenon.” She also has a killer name for a former president of the American Name Society.

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Moth infestations, the name game & barking up the family tree
Moth infestations, the name game & barking up the family tree
05/21/2020
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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
05/14/2020

Interesting fact: Time called “Wiggle Wiggle” the worst Dylan song: it “sounds like the theme song to one of those tripped-out television shows beloved by toddlers and drug users.” I liked the song before I even heard it.

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
05/07/2020

Interesting fact: If you haven’t looked into the Folgers incest ad debacle ... go for it.

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Man boobs, walking the dog & city slickers
Man boobs, walking the dog & city slickers
04/23/2020

Interesting fact: Smartwatch manufacturers recommend wearing their products on your, ahem, non-dominant hand to avoid falsely inflating step counts throughout the day. No mention of people who use one of the numerous two-handed methods.

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
04/09/2020

Interesting fact: If you can sub the word with “he” or “she,” use who. If “him” or “her” fits better, use “whom.” Like this: “Me and whom literally died watching half-masked idiots at 8 a.m. this morning.”

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
03/26/2020

Interesting fact: We all need a break from the coronavirus. Let me be that break

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
03/19/2020

Interesting fact: Derek Thompson, writing at The Atlantic, calls the presidential administration’s coronavirus efforts “a shambolic bonanza of incompetence,” and that is now my favorite five-word descriptor in the history of coronavirus. 

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
03/12/2020

Interesting fact: Charities, political parties seeking donations, and political candidates are exempt from the Do Not Call registry. So call them all you please. Just don’t call them Uncle.

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
03/05/2020

Interesting fact: The Black Death in the 14th century reduced the world population from 475 million to 350 million or so. Breathe easy! There is zero chance coronavirus will reduce us to anything less than 500 million.

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
02/27/2020

Interesting fact: Red letter days are so called because, dating back to Roman times, calendars often indicate important dates in red ink. Or else the red ink warned of impending Roman periods. Either way.

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
02/20/2020

Interesting fact: Turns out there really isn’t such thing as a sugar allergy. But there is sugar intolerance … and plenty of people who are sugar-intolerance intolerant.

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
02/13/2020

Interesting fact: Worse than left-lane hogs are those too-bright LED headlights. But my internet research shows, unfortunately, that somehow those damn lights are not actually illegal.

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Feb. 6, 2020
02/06/2020

Interesting fact: There’s no agreed-upon nickname for this decade yet (surprise!) or the last one, but the Brits call the 2000s the “naughties,” and I’ve never wanted to go back in time and/or to England so badly.

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
01/30/2020

Interesting fact: If you drive without your license on you, the worst that could happen is the police don’t believe you are who you say you are, and you get carted off to jail until they can ID you. No biggie. Unless you’re not who you say you are.

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Ask Rachel
Ask Rachel
01/23/2020

Interesting fact: There is no cure for the cold because 160 different strains of rhinovirus cause colds. No word on when or why we started swapping snot with rhinoceroses.

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