Opinion

Editor: There is a history that is germane today even though it occurred 59-54 years ago.  That period was when I was on active duty USAF.  I was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in May of 1963 and went on active duty the November of that year.  I reported in at Webb AFB, Big Spring, Texas to begin Undergraduate Pilot Training.

There are very few actors and actresses that I love to see in the movies. But one of them I love is Bruce Willis. The guy has been fortunate to be able to find the funniest writers for his TV series "Moonlighting" with Cybil Shephard back in the 80s to all of the quirky lines he said in the movies.While he could make you laugh through that series, he also had you on the edge of your seat in the "Die Hard" series.

Editor: So President Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee. Ketanji Brown -Jackson,  cannot define what is a “woman”?  I don’t have that problem as I have lived with a woman for north of fifty years.  She has presented me with three children which are now adults and have families of their own.  A woman has two breasts which at the proper time lactate, she has two ovaries which at the proper time produce eggs, which at the proper time are fertilized, which at the proper time are adhered to the womb, and then through the miracle of pregnancy are delivered as miniature humans.

The rest of the headline reads, "and Then He Escaped." This was from a news release that came in from the Federal Court in Cedar Rapids. I receive news releases every day from the federal court system, concerning cases that have been prosecuted and the outcome. The headline on this one made me say, "Seriously?"But yes, a Cedar Rapids man evaded capture for nearly a month after he walked away from custody at a halfway house.

Sometimes you need a reminder to stop and take a look around you. Take in the scenery. The other day I had my two-year-old granddaughter strapped into the backseat of the car. As I pulled up to a stop here in Vinton I heard, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" The inflection in her voice told me that whatever it was, to her, it was awesome. I sat there looking around and tried to figure out what had grabbed her attention.

Dear Editor, This should make Americans ask the fundamental question: what is the difference between what a public non-profit utility company provides and what a private for-profit oil company provides?  After all, they both sell energy to all United States citizens.  The difference is that natural gas and electricity are sold in the form of a public good whereas oil is sold in the form of a private good.

If I died tonight, I would die one proud mama. For years I've known that my kids were stubborn. They will dig their heels in when they believe that they are right and will not back down. I saw that when the oldest went to college. I saw it other times in almost all of my kids. I got to see that this week on Capitol Hill and on Iowa Public Radio. Now I suppose some of you have had a chance to see your kids excel and you were proud.

Now I have to admit, for me, Leprechauns are right up there with Greek Mythology. I remember in school learning about all of the gods and goddesses and in my head, I'm yawning. I suppose because of the word, "mythology." "It's not a fact, it's a myth, so can we move on?" I was thinking. Well, that and because it just wasn't "fun."However, if we wanted to discuss something worth discussing let's talk Leprechauns.

For an area that is not included in what is considered "Tornado Alley" we must be some sort of "Tornado cul de sac" or something here in Vinton. I have to admit when I heard the sirens go off, I looked out the window. When they went off a second time, I looked out the window. The third time I thought, "Alright, alright. Scott must really mean it!" Even after everything went through, I looked out the window and saw we were all here.

Part of my job is filtering the emails that I get. One of those is a list of recalls. Each notice includes which states products were released. If I recognize the company, I'll usually share that information. Except when it comes to salad. I noticed that I had several recalls come in last week for varieties of salad mixes. The salads contained listeria.