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A more immediate threat
On July 23, Syria — one of seven nations not to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention — admitted owning a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons. A foreign ministry spokesman warned that Damascus would use these weapons against any force intervening in its civil war. …
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Stop burning food during a drought
It is always foolish for a country to order the burning of its food supply, but it takes a special kind of depravity to do it in the midst of a severe drought. Yet that is precisely what the misguided federal ethanol mandate is doing, …
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Mistaken beliefs about conflict
Are you a conflict-avoider? Nobody likes conflict, but avoiding conflict usually winds up being even more painful than addressing it. If you work or live with a conflict-avoider, or you’re one yourself, you’ve probably experienced the cost of conflict avoidance. By avoiding any possible confrontation, …
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What you don’t know about Janna Ryan may surprise you
While the nation is getting to know Paul Ryan better since his selection as Romney’s running mate, it’s time they become acquainted with his mate of 14 years, wife Janna Ryan. With a sunny personality, friends describe her as very sharp, down-to-earth and a good …
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Trickle-down economics: Pyramid scheme
A few years ago, I had a friend who didn’t want anyone to know she was going to therapy. Instead, she would announce at her work she was leaving to attend her Amway meeting. At one point I had to inform her, “You know that …
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Are you ready for immortality?
According to ABC News, “Business Insider” and other sources, phrases such as “Nobody lives forever” and “death and taxes” could become quaint relics in just a few decades. Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov and 30 top Russian scientists have formed a collective called The 2045 Initiative, …
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Tick fever — it may be closer than you think
Charles McKenzie of Evening Shade didn’t know what was wrong when he started running a fever. After all, he didn’t have any other symptoms of flu or a common cold, such as sore throat, stomachache or lower bowel problems, sinus infection or headache. But he …
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‘Magic shoes,’ like cell phone, won’t bring popularity
It seems all I have heard for months is how badly my 12-year-old daughter Alexas wants a cell phone. Apparently every child in school has one except for her, which I’m sure is not true. I keep telling her that having a phone is a …
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Decisions, decisions
Our guest today is John J. Smith of Carson City, Nevada, who is certified by the Gallup Organization as an “undecided voter.” Q: Mr. Smith, what does the “J” stand for? A: Joan. My parents weren’t sure if they wanted a boy or girl. Q: …
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Obama’s last, desperate attempt to save capitalism
The Obama administration recently announced the creation of the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) in Youngstown, Ohio — a “public-private” consortium of manufacturing firms, universities, community colleges and nonprofits from the Ohio-West Virginia-Pennsylvania Tech Belt coinvesting with the federal government. The seed money, $30 …
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On handwritten letters
I received an unexpected postcard in the mail the other day from an old friend. It made my day. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten a handwritten letter from a friend — it has to be 10 or 15 years. What’s worse, I …
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Letter to the editor
Dear editor: Well, I notice the cemetery thieves have struck again. This is four floral arrangements that have been stolen off the top of my Mom and Dad’s tombstone. Do you have a vendetta against them? If it is against me, please face me with …
