Blogs List
 Megan Alexander |
Moving to Canada?Thu, November 13, 2008 @ 10:12PM I've heard people — conservatives — say with Barack Obama elected to be the next U.S. president, they're tempted to flee to Canada. My response (before now) has been to raise my eyebrow and bite my tongue. But really, I'm starting to wonder. Maybe it's just me, but I thought it was well known that Canadians as a lot are ... liberal. Example No. 1) Canada allows same-sex marriage, a concept rejected even in California, a state previously considered by some to be one our nation's most progressive. Example No. 2) Canada has government health care. Those are two big whoppers that make most conservatives in this nation cringe. I'm sure most aren't serious when they talk about fleeing to our northern neighbor, but I'm not seeing the joke, at least not as it's intended.
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 Jennifer Brookens |
"... And I Love Her"Wed, November 19, 2008 @ 10:50AM Just like this year, it was a Sunday night, going into a Monday; five years ago exactly. The contractions were becoming more painful and more frequent. She was finally on her way on her own, nearly 10 days past her due date. Monday's Child is Fair of Face, and she was indeed the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen. She didn't look like a plucked chicken like many newborns do... she had a full head of beautiful dark hair, and her eyes were already alert and taking in everything around her at 5:20 p.m., five minutes after her official arrival into the world. Both my husband and I were in love... there was no other way to describe it. I was weak, exhausted and in pain, but I was also elated. The first year of her life is a blur to me, because I hardly paid attention to anything except her. She was my complete world, and became the centerpiece for my parents as well. Her grandparents moved from Wyoming to Truman that summer to be closer to us and that baby.
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 Sarah Day |
Web site of the Week: FreeRiceThu, November 20, 2008 @ 2:23PM People love games, and many love challenging games. There is an online game that’s not only challenging, but also helps out other people. It’s called FreeRice, and it’s a word game. You are given a word, and you have to pick its meaning from a list of another four words. If you choose the right meaning, this Web site will donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. Obviously, 20 grains of rice isn’t much, but the more you play, the more is donated. If you multiply your play time versus everyone else’s – that’s a lot of rice. The game itself is interesting. If you keep getting the words right, the game starts giving you more difficult words. So it’s not only a handy way to help combat hunger, it also helps you expand your vocabulary. The site has added more subjects including math, science, geography, art history and other languages. The site is able to donate the rice because of sponsors and advertisers it.
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 Christine Rupp |
Boot-tastic!Wed, November 19, 2008 @ 0:05AM I've got new boots! I know that not many people get this excited about footwear, but for me, getting new boots is a big deal. You see, I have freakishly big feet. One of my co-workers was complaining the other day because she has a hard time finding cute shoes, and she wears size 9 or 10. I wear at least a size 11, or even a size 12. It wasn't until the last few years that many manufacturers even began making shoes in my size! So it's definitely difficult for me to find shoes, especially fashionable ones. That's why I was so thrilled on a recent trip to some Twin Cities stores to find not one, but two pairs of fashion boots that fit. These boots aren't made for tromping in the snow, but they'll keep my feet warm, they're comfortable, and they look good too. By the way, some stores are even starting to carry women's size 13 shoes now. I know, because one of my pairs of boots is a size 13.
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 Kylie Saari |
Wii BowlingWed, November 12, 2008 @ 9:22PM I'll be honest — I don't like video games. I think they breed violent behavior, are mostly a waste of time, and often encourage children to devalue life. My husband greatly enjoys the use of video games, and it is often a source of contention, as I flat out refuse to allow our children to have one (our oldest is only 5 for goodness sake!). Studies show video games are worse babysitters than television, and we don't even let our kids watch TV, so how could I even explain that? But I will also be the first to admit I have used a Wii, and don't tell anyone, but I enjoyed it. It was the Sisseton Saloon that did it. They have a Wii on their counter and my sister and I were encouraged to try it winter evening when we were there and it was particularly slow. We had a good night, trying out the games. Bowling, tennis, kareoke, and the dance competition are all enjoyable, and one can pass a good amount of time doing these things.
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 Lee Smith |
He's sounding more centristTue, November 18, 2008 @ 10:03PM After watching President-elect Barack Obama on "60 Minutes" on Sunday, I believe it is easier to feel more confident in the young liberal, with reservations. While some of Obama's campaign rhetoric was particularly worrisome, i.e. spread the wealth around, his appearance Sunday was far more centrist. He praised free markets, rejected a "New New Deal" to remedy economic woes and had nice things to say about three Republican presidents — Lincoln, Eisenhower and Reagan. There was something else about listening to Obama, in this instance and others. It seems unlikely he is going to abandon intelligence and knowledge, which includes what he knows about markets and history. He may try to pursue some problematic issues like national health care, but he also understands the limits of government when recession has slashed its revenues.
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