Over the course of his 57 years on this earth, musical legend and icon Prince Rogers Nelson crossed paths with countless people. We put out a call on social media asking for people's stories about their own encounters with Prince, and listeners, you delivered. Listen on as we share these listener tales.

We get a bit looney as we discuss the magnificent Gavia Immer, better known as the Common Loon. How did this unique water fowl beat out its far more popular avian competition—including the Scarlet Tanager, the Robin, the Goldfinch, and Meadowlark—to become the official state bird of Minnesota? And can they really shoot lasers out of their eyes? We'll answer at least one of those questions.

To see photos of loons, loonlets, other birds, and lots of loon-inspired flags and other designs, check out our shownotes here.

This week we’ll be looking at the fascinating life and incredible legacy of Leeann Chin—chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and inventor of the cream cheese wonton. We’ll follow her story from 1930s China to her arrival in 1950s Minnesota, years during which she received nothing but discouragement from others, to her eventual triumph as a business mogul and culinary star, in part thanks to a fateful encounter with none other than actor Sean Connery.

To see images related to this episode, find links to other resources, and see our sources cited, check out our show notes here.

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During this episode, we play several excerpts from an interview Leeann Chin gave to Twin Cities Public Television in 1992. You can find that full interview here.