The word for today is optics — but not the kind where your eye doctor is an expert. Instead of eyeglasses, I am thinking about the kind of optics that result when the perception of some …
People are so different anymore. I remember growing up and being impressed with the “good neighbor” culture. Helping push a car out of the snow, helping the elderly carry things when you …
I like to surround myself with positive people. Following our local sports lends itself to few and far between championships, so you know we have to be getting thick-skinned about losing along the …
The tears and hugs were for the cruelty of the finality. Holy Trinity’s three-set loss to Ankeny Christian in Thursday’s Class 1A state volleyball championship match set off sadness …
Veterans Day is around the corner. For John and Bob, the day will be for remembering the men and women who serve in the United States military — and for two service members, in particular. For …
It was on Facebook: “Share the albino alligator and you will have good news or money today.” I don't usually plug into this sort of huff, preferring to trust in God, but I thought, …
Fort Madison Partners hooked us up with another candidate forum this week. We got a no-so-good look at those who had the courage to put their names on a ballot to serve their community. …
The rationale behind Iowa’s professional licensing laws is simple: People in certain professions and skilled occupations are required to hold state licenses to work in Iowa. This is to ensure …
Music has always been an important part of my family’s life. Mom was always an Elvis fan and I think she had a stint where she crushed a little on Barry Manilow. I might get the stink eye for …
I've read all of Walter Isaacson's biographies, like “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life,” “Leonardo da Vinci,” “Einstein: His Life and Universe,” and …
I woke up Friday with a gentle rain tapping on the shingles just outside my second-story north window. A breeze carrying the fresh smell of a fall rain brushed in through the bedroom about four feet …
For many years, an Iowa State University political science professor and I met several times a year for coffee and conversation. During our coffee klatches, I probed my friend’s thinking on …
