“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”

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Summer in Minnesota can be delightful, with beautiful scenery, many outdoor activities and generally great weather. But as night follows day, winter usually comes upon us quickly and with little ceremony. Soon enough we’ll be driving past festive Christmas decorations in snow-covered neighborhoods, shoveling our vehicles out of their parking spots, and slipping along icy roads during our daily commutes. Winter is a welcomed season for skiers, snowmobilers and other aficionados of such outdoor activities, but perhaps less enjoyable for those of us who need to dig ourselves out of our driveways before we can get to work.

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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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It appears as though our hopes of arriving at a time we could refer to as “post-pandemic” were an illusion. Optimism that this potential period would resemble the pre-pandemic world in some capacity now seems rather unlikely. New ‘variants’ seem to be popping up with nearly predictable regularity, vaccination controversy has exploded onto the scene, and compliance with heretofore personal choices is quickly becoming decreed without regard for consent. Commodity shortages, increasing fuel prices, border chaos, economic instability, international crisis, and escalating social discontent are creating a volatile cocktail.

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Today, we live in the digital age of iPads, tablet computers and smart phones. Local device storage of media has given way to streaming services, with immense libraries of content available anywhere with one touch of your screen.

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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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There is likely no other firearm with as diverse a range of suitable applications as the shotgun. These include military operations, law enforcement, hunting, sports such as trap and skeet shooting, as well as personal and home defense. Shotguns come in a wide variety of sizes generally referred to by a unit of measurement known as the “gauge.” Some of these include 16 gauge, 20 gauge, 12 gauge, and 10 gauge; the smaller the number, the larger the bore diameter. Shotgun shells can be loaded with a multitude of projectiles, ranging from small to large diameter shot, slugs and various mission-specific loads.

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With stores being devoid of most ammunition for nearly an entire year now, many people are wondering when, if ever, we would see the shelves stocked again. While still very difficult to find, there is a slow trickle starting to make its way to some retailers. Nearly always accompanied by strict limits on the amount purchased and often behind the counter, the fact that there is any at all is promising. Perhaps there is a light at the ‘end of the barrel’…

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