Columns & Opinions

Will Trump try to be 47th president?

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Will Trump try to be 47th president?

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Here is where the Old Contrarian (me) seeks to diminish the importance of what Old Yeller (not the 1956 children's book, but the 45th president of the United States) did the other day by traveling to Iowa and proclaiming that the 2020 election was "rigged" and that Washington Democrats are taking...

What’s really killing this country

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What’s really killing this country

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Iowa is represented in the U.S. House by three Republicans and one Democrat. After last year's census, an independent advisory commission drew a new map that reaffirmed the current balance, but made one of the Republican districts slightly more competitive.

Partner not supportive after being told about my eating disorder

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Partner not supportive after being told about my eating disorder

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

DEAR HARRIETTE: I opened up to my partner about my eating disorder, and I did not get the supportive response I wanted. I have silently struggled with my eating disorder for years, so telling my partner about it was a huge deal. When I told them, their response was underwhelming, to say the least.

Buying jeans is troublesome

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Buying jeans is troublesome

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

There are few things as daunting as buying jeans.I don't buy jeans frequently enough to buy the same kind twice. By the time I'm ready for a new pair of jeans, whatever I've been wearing is unavailable, out of style, or both.Of course there are sizes on jeans, but the sizes mean nothing.

Experiencing my first tornado

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Experiencing my first tornado

Saturday, October 16, 2021

As one of Clinton’s newer residents, Tuesday’s storm was my first experience with a tornado and its aftermath. After being initiated into the tornado club, I can confidently say, as someone who has now experienced both, earthquakes are better than tornadoes.In the summer of 2019, a magnitude 7.

Weapons charges at the insurrection

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Weapons charges at the insurrection

Friday, October 15, 2021

It has become common in some circles to call the Jan. 6 Capitol riot an "armed insurrection." That leads to a few questions: How many rioters were armed? And what weapons did they have? What were the arms in the "armed insurrection"?

Insulin resistance helped with diet, exercise

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Insulin resistance helped with diet, exercise

Friday, October 15, 2021

Dear Doctor: My yearly physical showed I have insulin resistance. I'm not sure I understand what that means. My doctor says I should stop eating sugar, and that I need to exercise more. Is that going to be enough to make this go away?

Mother-in-law stays in toxic relationship

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Mother-in-law stays in toxic relationship

Friday, October 15, 2021

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mother-in-law has a boyfriend who continuously treats her like trash. She kicks him out of her home once every few months, but he always ends up back in the house –it's a toxic cycle. It is hard for me to keep watching her take him back, but I don't want to overstep.

TV news runs on showbiz values

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TV news runs on showbiz values

Thursday, October 14, 2021

This just in: Breaking News!If you haven't noticed, the news business thrives on melodrama; it's hardly original to observe that cable TV programming, in particular, runs on showbiz values.

It can takes months to recover from mono

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It can takes months to recover from mono

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Dear Doctor: When we dropped off our daughter at camp this summer, our main worry was that she might get exposed to COVID-19. Instead, she came home with mono. I would like to know more about this disease and what it means for her in the future.