We are being hoodwinked yet again by big business profiteers. How? Those who seek to legally sell addictive marijuana will reap profits; society and the vulnerable will be left to pay the costs.Consider this: The United States pays about $600 billion annually for all drug use; it is a figure ...
I'm all for Christmas tradition. When I was little, we always had an Advent calendar. Each morning, one of us kids would takes turns opening each little slot that indicated the day of the month. Some years, there was chocolate inside for the taking. One year, there was mouse poop instead (oh, ...
In studies of "happiness" it has generally been determined that money does not necessarily guarantee happiness. On the other side of the issue, there is considerable proof that those individuals that achieve happiness tend to have a greater chance at wealth. True happiness comes from the ...
How does drought affect your fall hunting?And the answer is: It affects it a lot, and we're seeing the effects of it right now. The National Weather Service deemed 2012 the hottest year so far, on record since record keeping began in 1872. And calendar year 2013 wasn't far behind. As of Aug. ...
Dear Santa,Some folks have told me that I'm too old to write a letter to Santa, but I don't believe them. To be honest, people who think one can be too old to write a letter to Santa probably don't believe in you in the first place.So how are you and Mrs. Claus doing? I hope well. I worry about ...
Last Christmas I received a gift I use pretty much every day: one of those trendy, one-cup coffee makers that must have been just about the hottest Christmas present a year ago.Making sure it is all set and ready to go the night before, the first thing I do each morning is ooze down the hallway ...
I think my favorite part of the Christmas holiday season is the music. I love it all - popular standards, instrumental, contemporary and traditional carols.As a Christmas music aficionado, I know the lyrics most of the songs I hear on the radio. I think it comes from years and years of ...
It was about this time of year 45 years ago when I experienced my first automobile accident. I was not injured so in that regard it was no big deal. The emotional trauma, however, left a lifetime scar.You see, this accident involved my first new car when it was only six months old. Just six ...
I believe I've decided that the person who invented the roller suitcase should be knighted. Or maybe even made a saint.In the three airports where I was over the holidays, I don't believe I saw anyone who wasn't wheeling their suitcase. You know the style-the wheels on one end of the ...
To the Editor:I can remember sitting in the front rows with my buddies (Keith and Randy Riley, Billy Sherwood, Don Siders, Bruce Keenan and my Bro Joe) watching scary movies and having the crap scared out of us.I then graduated to the middle rows with girlfriends (I won't embarrass them) ...
To the Editor:The can cage utilized by the Noon Kiwanis Club has been the victim of thefts of large bags of bottles and cans over the past several months. The funds generated by the redemption of the bottles and cans are used for projects such as the Middle School DARE program, the Hospital ...
To the Editor:I want to personally thank everyone who donated items during our recent food drive. With the amount of food collected, we were able to make about 75 meal bundles on our National Day of Service. The meal bundles were donated to the Domestic and Sexual Assault Outreach Center ...
Those of us who have spent our lives in the Midwest can't help but harbor a special love for monarch butterflies. Of all the beautiful marvels of nature that grace our part of the world, monarchs have earned a place of deserved honor.Along with lightening bugs, ice cream and just-ripened ...
Superstitious? Not me. I've never been superstitious and hopefully never will be, knock on wood.Looking ahead I see we have another Friday the 13th on the calendar in December. That's a day superstitious people like to avoid.Superstitious tradition has it that Fridays which fall upon on the ...
I read once that we often take for granted the things that deserve our gratitude the most. Perhaps that is especially true at this Thanksgiving time of year.If this is so, then I should be grateful for the beauty of the sunrise that surrounds me on my drive through the countryside early every ...
To the Editor:Thank you to all the folks who joined us on Nov. 2 to dance and enjoy the music of Webster City's own Al Welsh Orchestra. We had people attend from all over the area, and the feedback was extremely positive. We raised just over $700 for the Webster City Senior and Community ...
To the Editor:My family has personally experienced what the prayers and support of an amazing community can do. I have also watched this remarkable community come together during the unthinkable horror of two of our students being kidnapped and one murdered. Another tragedy has recently struck ...
So much to say; so little space, so little time. So allow me to quickly give you an outdoor 101 lesson on what's going on around Hamilton County this week.In November, most outdoor types are chasing grouse, quail, pheasants, turkey or deer, bow hunting, getting ready for the annual deer camp or ...
Jam of the week: "Infinite Us" by MachinedrumI love the late-year holiday season. Even as the days get shorter, I relish the fact that the greatest American holiday will be coming soon. It's a day where the community gathers together despite the increasing cold weather of the season, wait ...
The supermarket was busy, especially near the freezer where frozen turkeys were on sale. I had difficulty just getting close to the solid gobblers.Just as I finally got near the freezer case I noticed a familiar figure in front of me. It was my short-tempered old buddy, Eb Griper."I figured Old ...