Opinion
Stupid Criminals: Judge Told Him Not to Escape
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.
Reading my mind: Wonder
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.
Letter to the Editor: Gas Prices
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.
Reading my mind: Gravida
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.
Reading My Mind: Leprechauns
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.
Reading my mind: Stuff
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.
Reading my mind: Recalls
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.
Letter to the Editor: COVID-19 politics
Dear Editor, It is dumbfounding and depressing how political the atmosphere on the Covid-19 virus has become. What is true and what is misinformation? How can one make any sense out of what is coming from the White House, President Biden, and the medical bureaucracy? And to really muddy the mix we have the mainstream media weighing in.
Reading my mind: Coffee
Now, I'm not a coffee drinker. I'm barely a tea drinker. Water? Well, it's okay, and I should drink more. My beverage of choice is a cold glass of milk. THAT I will put in a wine glass, just because I can, and wine, eww. People keep saying to me, "You just haven't found the right one!" and I should tell them that I've not really tried too hard. Call me silly, but shouldn't it taste like the sparkling grape juice or something?I'm also not a big fan of ice cream.
Reading my mind: Ethanol
The fun part of this job is that you get to talk to people in various careers. Farming is one that I have a great appreciation for, but haven't got a clue how to milk a cow. I did feed calves at my aunt and uncles when I was a kid, but that doesn't probably count. One of my loves is politics. I love it most of the time, and hate it equally as much the rest of the time.