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GARRISON KEILLOR
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The unknown person at the airport
The sign at the airport said, "THREAT LEVEL ORANGE" but I ignored it and went into the terminal where nobody unknown to me asked me to carry anything aboard the plane and I saw nothing suspicious to report to authorities. The truly suspicious people these days are the authorities. When I got to Chicago, however, there was a high-pitched chittering sound in the air reminiscent of the soundtrack of a sci-fi movie in which an intergalactic virus lands on Earth in gooey pods in the treetops that will hatch into carnivorous bats. It was the 17-year cicada, billions of them, locust-like bugs that have lain dormant underground since 1990 and then sprang up as grubs, molted, sprouted wings, and were busy enjoying a brief courtship and sex before their imminent death.
Manufacturing public opinion for politicians
In 1968 the presidential campaign of Hubert Humphrey, lagging badly in all reliable opinion surveys, came up with a careful scheme to manipulate the press.
Letters to the Editor
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