Blogs List
Being Me
 Ken Black |
Not easy being homeless these daysWed, September 1, 2010 @ 12:21PM It used to be that if you were homeless, your expenses dramatically decreased. It was seen as the way for people to live who didn't have any money, but that is beginning to change. Consider this recent headline: "Some can't afford cost of being homeless." That ran recently in my hometown newspaper in Orlando, Fla. It seems as though the good folks, or greedy folks, in Orlando are now charging the homeless who wish to sleep at their shelters. It didn't used to be that way for many of the shelters, but times are hard. But the headline struck me as odd. If you can't afford to be homeless, what's the alternative? To get a home? Then I saw the brilliance of the strategy the shelters in Orlando, and other larger cities (New York City once proposed to charge the working homeless rent for shelter space) are putting into plac.
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The Devil's Advocate
 Mike Donahey |
Wing tips on the beachTue, August 24, 2010 @ 4:05PM A wedding in Duluth, Minn. brought me to the shores of Lake Superior earlier this month. And that is where I discovered I had something in common with the late President Richard Nixon. Wing tips on the beach. For the uninitiated, wing tips are a men’s dress shoe, usually worn with a suit. There is more. “Wing tips on the beach,” was a 1994 essay written by the Boston Globe’s Mark Feeney about the life and career of Nixon on the occasion of the former president’s 80th birthday. One of the the essay’s themes, as I recall, was that Nixon, a California native (and the first Californian to serve as president) was said to be so regimented, so formal and “un-Californian” that it was believed he would wear wing tips on the beach. Feeney’s essay received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for feature writing. He didn’t win, but was a finalist.
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The Catch-Up
 Travis Hines |
Highlights of Kirk Ferentz's Tuesday PresserTue, August 31, 2010 @ 3:27PM Highlights from Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz's presser on Tuesday afternoon that was held in Iowa City. Check out the link on the right for the full transcript. — Nothing new on running back Brandon Wegher's status. Ferentz said he hadn't talk to Wegher in a week, though he believes the sophomore is attending classes. "We are thinking long term now rather than short term and as I said before, there's really -- I haven't had any indication what he'll do," said Ferentz, "and I wouldn't want to try to project it, so we are in the season now and have to move forward with the team but our thoughts are still with him." — Four true freshmen are expected to play Saturday against Eastern Illinois: Linebackers James Morris and Christian Kirksey, tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz and kicker Miker Meyers. Another "four-to-six" true freshmen are in the mix to see time as well this season.
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Don't Argue With Me
 Tammy R. Lawson |
On the road again ...Mon, August 30, 2010 @ 3:24PM Sing it with me, Willie. FINALLY. I have my ride back. And I was right. It was going to cost a nice, sweet penny. New engine, alternator, all the fluids it could hold, as well as labor (Thanks T.). New tires and alignment were added to enhance my driving experience. Or at least get it going again back to speed. I'm pretty sure that by the time all was put into it, I probably surpassed its Blue Book value. Stupidly priceless, indee.
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Fifth-and-Goal
 Mark Pawlak |
Get your Strasburg memorabiliaWed, June 23, 2010 @ 6:30PM Thinking of getting a baseball card of the next big thing Stephen Strasburg? Be ready to fork over $100,000. Currently listed on eBay is a 2010 Bowman Strasburg Red Autograph that has a serial number of 1/1. The one-of-a-kind card has a current bid of $101,500 and so far 147 bids are in as of Wednesday evening. The auction ends Monday night. The good news? Shipping is free. There are also Strasburg items up for auction on MILB.com. You can get Strasburg gear from his Triple-A stop in Syracuse including his clubhouse chair ($132.76 is the current bid), game-worn black belt ($52), game-worn red socks ($33), road jersey ($905), pants ($141) and locker nameplate ($38). I have to say I much rather be selling than buying, especially that car.
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Word Up
 Andrew Potter |
September alreadyTue, August 31, 2010 @ 5:34PM Isn’t it one of the most depressing things to see the calendar go from August to September? I can’t think of any month change more depressing. But let’s look for some positive things happening this month. College and professional football games start this month, the Marshalltown celebration Oktemberfest opens Sept. 23 and colors of fall will be coming out. Come to think of it changing to September isn’t that bad. At least there won’t be snow this month. Hopefull.
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Plain and Simple
 Pam Rodgers |
Losing money on the racesMon, August 30, 2010 @ 3:46PM Just to start out, I am not a gambler. I have too little money and too many college loans and bills to pay to be careless with funds. However, this weekend, my family went to Prairie Meadows to see the horse races. And being the big better I am, I decided to put some money on a couple of the races. And by that I mean I made the minimun bet of $2 dollars on the last three races. And guess what, I didn’t win anything. My first bet, my horse got dead last, and the next two didn’t place. So my first time betting on horses was an unsuccessful one to say the least. I still had fun watching the horses race. I have been to other races before but I was too young to put any money the races. My family had a little fun with one race. There was only five horse in the race. Well, there was five of us and my sister suggested we all pick a horse to bet on and then at least somebody would win something. That was the fist race I bet on.
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