Home electronics have come a long way since the days of the cassette player connected to an analog stereo amplifier and a pair of speakers. Today’s home electronics are a fusion of computer technology, Wi-Fi, streaming media and multi-channel, multi-room digital applications of every sort imaginable. Surely you would need to purchase such items at a specialty audio/video establishment, right? Well, you can, if you want to pay top-shelf prices!

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If any of the drains in your home seem to clog repeatedly, that’s not normal, and you need to investigate why it’s happening. Generally, when household drains seem like they’re always slow or totally clogged, it’s because household members repeatedly allow things to flow into the drains that don’t belong there. Damaged plumbing can be a culprit, too, but more often than not, the problem is caused by user neglect.

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Recent times have been unusual in more ways than one. The pandemic has profoundly changed the landscape of life as we knew it. Government mandates and lockdowns caused retail sales to plummet. Supply chain vulnerabilities manifested themselves as shortages of daily staples such as toilet paper, sanitizing products and other goods. These and other business disruptions called for a new approach to mitigate losses. Curb side pickups and social distancing became part of the lexicon, yet many businesses were still unable to weather the storm.

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With the all but continuous advancements in computing technology, it is difficult to keep up with the times. Obsolescence (primarily in speed, processing power and memory) of home computers, laptops and tablets seems as timely as the introduction of newer and better models. No sooner do you buy something than the upgraded version comes out. So is it really worth trying to keep up with this rat race? Well, that depends on several things.

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If you need to borrow money quickly and without a credit check, the pawn/loan process can be very helpful. Bring in items of value as collateral to receive a loan for an agreed amount, and then retrieve your item(s) upon repayment of the pawn amount within a specified period of time.

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It’s that time – your high school graduate is getting ready for college. It’s a big step into a new chapter of life - a transition from living at home to the greater world and one which requires much planning. Many incoming college students will be spending much of their non-classroom time in a dorm room. As such, they will need to make all their necessities work in a relatively modest space, and there will be little room for non-essential items. College is definitely an exercise in frugal living, or in efficient resource management at the very least.

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Most cars include some type of audio system from the factory, which is commonly referred to as the 'stock' or ‘OEM’ system. This can be as basic as an in-dash radio receiver and a pair of speakers or complete high-end entertainment systems including DVD players, monitors, amplifiers and an array of speakers throughout the vehicle. With as many different options as are available in OEM equipment these days, there is an even greater variety of aftermarket products designed to enhance, upgrade or replace stock car audio gear.

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Being in the thick of winter with below zero temperatures and plenty of snow on the ground, it’s hard to imagine the warmth and sunshine of spring. But with each passing day, it’s one day closer! In keeping with positive thinking of this sort, we’re also thinking about car audio. When we Minnesotans thaw out after the long deep freeze, cruising on the open road with our windows down and some good music playing is something to look forward to.

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People are spending more time at home these days due to the pandemic. There are just a lot fewer things to partake in with the cancellation of many social activities and events. So what do you do when you’re cooped up at home? There are actually many activities we can revisit, especially with a bit more time at our disposal. Cooking (and we don’t mean throwing a frozen dinner in the microwave), family game night, camping, hiking, crafting, reading (those old fashioned things made of paper, not your tablet), gardening (not quite yet, but hopefully soon), and last but not least – listening to music or watching movies. We can’t help you with some of these, but we certainly can with home entertainment equipment!

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Happy New Year to all! Hopefully 2021 will be a good year for everyone. This last year brought us its share of drama, including a pandemic, lockdowns, civil unrest, economic hardships and consumer product shortages to name a few. Many aspects of normal life simply got “cancelled”. Zoom meetings have replaced traditional gatherings, academics are conducted remotely, stores have more traffic signage than our highways, and now we only get to see people’s eyes out in public. Remember the mad run on toilet paper, or unscrupulous folks price-gouging on hand sanitizer? Still waiting for a second round of stimulus checks, only 8 months after the first payments? And most of us still can’t find ammunition today… It has to get better, right? We don’t know about you, but we’re ready to say goodbye to 2020 and a hopeful hello to 2021!

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