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Sunday, May 26, 2013
A new take on faith (05/25/13)
Pope Francis created some waves a few days ago when he said, in his homily, that those who "do good" -- regardless of their beliefs - are redeemed. From the Huffington Post, quoted from the Vatican Radio on Wednesday: "They complain," the Pope said in his homily, because they say, "If he is not one of us, he cannot do good," ... ...
Ditch the Fitch (05/17/13)
A statement in a 2006 Salon.com article by Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO, Mike Jeffries, ruffled a few feathers recently. "In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids," Jeffries said. "A lot of people don't belong [in our clothes], and they can't belong. ...
Guns don't kill people, unhealthy lifestyles kill people, and their pocketbooks (05/11/13)
There's been a lot of talk about guns lately. Should we have them? Should we not have them? Is the government trying to take them away? You would think that gun-violence is one of the biggest causes of death in our country. It's not. Gun violence isn't even in the top 15...
95 and broke (05/04/13)
In searching for a topic to write about this week, I came across an article written by U.S. News last month. "Obama Budget Proposes Cap on Retirement Savings." The article then continues to detail how Obama's latest proposal for digging America out of the debt hole is to cap untaxed retirement savings at $3 million...
There's no 'Health' in 'Fast' (04/27/13)
This morning I read several articles involving "The Fast Diet," also referred to occasionally as a 5:2 diet. Here's the gist of it: You can eat whatever you want for five days out of the week, and the other two days you practice extreme calorie restriction, to the tune of up to 500 calories a day for women and 600 calories a day for men...
We run for Boston (04/20/13)
I went out for a run Tuesday morning. The entire time, I thought about Boston. About the people who would not be able to run the same way they had been used to running, from either physical or emotional limitations. I was struck on Monday how the country unified together. ...
More than two choices (04/13/13)
Just when I think we're all happy, another touchy subject floods the news. A story has been circulating USA Today and The Atlantic recently about a clinic in Philadelphia that is undergoing investigation for infanticide after performing abortions on babies after 24 weeks, which is illegal in the state of Pennsylvania. Many doctors in that state won't perform them after 20 weeks, for health and moral reasons...
Farewell, Mr. Ebert (04/06/13)
I remember when I first decided I wanted to become a book reviewer. I was sitting in the student center of my college, anticipating a summer vacation and realizing that I actually enjoyed thinking about what I was reading. My professors told me that if you want to become good at something, look for others who have succeeded at that thing and study them. At that point, I didn't know of any well-known book reviewers; most reviews are recognized by their publication and not by their reviewer...
Whose job is it, really? (03/30/13)
It seems I can't google anything without hearing about the economy. Whether or not the budget deficit is any better than it was four years ago doesn't make much of a difference when you're $16 trillion in the hole. But regardless, I hear all kinds of excuses about whose job it really is to fix this problem. Is it the government's? Is it the rich's? Is it the church's? The only people we seem to agree should share the weight is "them."...
It's OK to be OK with gay marriage (03/23/13)
Growing up, Rob Bell was a household name in my hometown. Mars Hill, the church he founded and stayed with until the beginning of last year, was one town over. We watched the N.O.O.M.A videos in school chapel. We waited at stoplights behind cars with "Love Wins" stickers on their bumpers...
A pope for all (03/16/13)
I watched the live feed Wednesday from the Guardian as they waited patiently for the conclave to announce the name of the new pope. Pope Francis is a pope like the Catholic church has not had before. Yes, he's Jesuit and yes, he's from Latin America. But more than that, he's a pope the entire world can relate to...
Is happiness a science? (03/09/13)
I geek out over all things techy, especially when they come in the forms of social platforms and entrepreneurial breakthroughs. I'm on so many platforms it's hard to remember them all (Pinterest, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Wordpress, etc). The more that I research social networks, and start-ups, the more I learn how, even though each individual platform has its own individual purpose, they all begin under relatively the same pretext: they all seek to fill a gap in society. ...
Shut up and listen (03/02/13)
I have, as of late, become addicted to TED talks. When I say this, I mean I've become addicted to podcasts. And, in browsing through all that iTunes has to offer (which, as it turns out, is the new cable: so many channels and not a single thing on) I found that TED actually posts all of their guest talks completely free to the public, both video and audio...
An Ideal education (02/23/13)
I've become increasingly more interested in education-based stories that pop up in the news. Education is one of those fields that's been undergoing a huge overhaul over the last few years. We're seeing a lot of phrases such as "student-centered classroom" pop up, suggesting that schools and teachers are now finding ways to teach each of their children individually while still following a general, core-based curriculum...
Paying with reputation (02/16/13)
I'm a big fan of "Downton Abbey." For those who've never watched the show, season three shows the delicate frenzy that World War I has thrown the nobility of England into. The Earl of Grantham and the rest of the older generation are desperately trying to hold onto the traditions and standards that comforted them before and during the Great War. ...
Run for charity (02/09/13)
It's very easy to get snarky when it comes to pop culture and "amazing" new tech advances. (Wasn't it the Larry the Cable Guy Prilosec commercial that told us "We make things you not only need, we make things you didn't know you needed in the first place!")...
Tantrums aren't just for kids anymore (02/02/13)
There was a story on "Good Morning America" the other day about a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader who felt bad because she wasn't chosen to cheer at the Super Bowl. Courtney Lenz claims, in the USA Today article dedicated to her complaints, that she was sidelined because she had gained 1.4 pounds over the course of the season. She weighed 124 pounds, and the Ravens organization wanted her to get down to 120...
Hide your Tide (01/26/13)
There's a new thief in town, and he's headed for your utility room. The newest fad in burglary has bandits heading straight for the laundry detergent aisle of grocery and convenience stores and loading carts of Tide detergent. The thieves make out with gallons of the blue liquid at a time, and then turn it around and sell it by the capful at laundromats...
Armstrong case reveals a problem everyone already knew (01/19/13)
So this Lance Armstrong thing has been around for a while, but now that he's officially lost all of his medals, it's once again news. To his credit, he's come clean. It may have taken a while, but some things tend to take longer than others. It seems this is something toddlers and celebrities have in common: they will hold onto their story until absolute undeniable proof says otherwise, to which they will come clean and hope that the involved authority will grant them leniency...
Idiotic bigots need only apply (01/12/13)
I'll be honest, sometimes it's really difficult to find a topic to write about for my column. Today, however, I was lucky enough to scroll through my Twitter feed and find four "news" stories that would merit a good critique or honorable mention. Maybe I would write about the heroic teacher in California who calmly negotiated down the 16-year-old boy with a shotgun who came to school intending to kill the two classmates he felt were bullying him. ...
New year, new you (01/05/13)
This year, it seems, everyone is assuming a resolution centered around weight loss and health gain. "Good Morning America" has begun "Jumpstart Your January," a series that introduces a new simple exercise move each day, as well as features stories of people who have "dropped an Olsen twin."...
The season of lists (12/29/12)
We may not be able to agree on what holiday it is, lumping them together into one general season, but we can definitely agree on the amount of information required to execute even one seasonal get-together. For neurotic list-makers like me, this is excellent. This is my favorite time of year, in part because of the general sense of peace and well-being, in part because of the amazing food and family comfort, and in part because it gives me an excuse to create an absorbent amount of lists...
It's the end of the ... oh wait (12/22/12)
Last night before going to bed my husband said to me, "If the world ends tomorrow, I will be frustrated that I hadn't gone to see 'The Hobbit.'" We are so fascinated by our own demise. I can't for the life of me begin to guess why. Maybe it's a change, something new to think about. But, then again, maybe the apocalypse has become as cliché as life on earth...
What's going on? (12/15/12)
I wish I could write about anything else, but I don't know if that would be possible. I've been thinking about those sweet children all day, and it would be a disservice not to acknowledge their short lives. They're calling the Newtown, Conn., shooting the second deadliest since Virginia Tech. It's certainly the worst when it comes to children...
We are waiting (12/08/12)
December is a time for waiting. We are in Advent, waiting for Christmas to celebrate family, friends, and the birth of baby Jesus. We are waiting for New Year's Day, maybe because there's only two weeks left to this year and, rather than commit to serious change now, we'll tack it on as a resolution...
Feeling 'Blue' (12/01/12)
Spencer celebrated its status as a Blue Zones demonstration site on Thursday night. I covered the event, but I also went as a supporter. I love the thought of making small steps towards wellness. I have to say, it was inspiring to see everyone in one room, each blue shirt dancing along with Super Blue during the Movement Time...
So long, fair Twinkie (11/17/12)
When NFL refs go on strike, games are badly called for a few weeks. When Chicago teachers go on strike, schoolchildren get a little more time on the playground. When the NBA goes on strike, Christmas dinner is spent with an orange ball bouncing in the background...
Don't judge me (11/03/12)
When I was in upper elementary school and middle school, the "word" was "whatever." Everyone said it. It was similar to "I don't care," in that it stated a level of indecision, but "whatever" took it one step further with its thinly-veiled apathy. These days, "whatever" has been passed down to the early childhood and mid-elementary students (I'm serious), and a new phrase has come up: "Don't judge me."...
Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming (10/27/12)
You have no idea how ready I am for political ads to leave my television. At this point, it doesn't even matter who I'm voting for, I'm getting sick of both sides. Maybe it's because this is the first year I've really cared about politics and the election...
Awareness month (10/20/12)
I've noticed more and more each October, how many "months" there are in these 31 days. Each group and cause seems to have their own designated time of awareness and for some reason, October is the chosen time for many of them. There are 35 special interest groups celebrating awareness this October, more than any other month...
'I was hungry, and the blowtorch was just sitting there' (10/13/12)
A friend of mine posted this news story from my hometown newspaper: "After torched squirrel ignites Holland Township fire, authorities recall other weird fire causes." Okay, there are several ways to break down this story, from the headline alone. I'm going to start with, "torched squirrel ignites Holland Township fire."...
Common Sense: 1, Mountain Lion: 0 (10/06/12)
I remember doing a story during the fair about the "Mountain Lion Mania" show at the Sundholm Center. The presenter talked about the last known citing of a mountain lion in the area, and how many of the more recent "sightings" are actually domestic house cats or dogs...
Fatal error, human mistake (09/29/12)
The virtual world went all aflutter yesterday afternoon when a live Fox News feed of a Phoenix car chase turned deadly. The victim -- I'm going to call him a victim here, even though, had things ended differently, he would be called "suspect" -- was seen running from the allegedly carjacked vehicle when he stopped, pulled out a gun, and fired upon himself...
Snow White was fooled by an apple, and so were we (09/22/12)
If you haven't heard the buzz behind the newest tech toy, you've probably been hiding under a rock. Apple's iPhone 5 was announced on Sept.12, and released on Friday. The presales alone have topped two million. People waited for hours outside their preferred electronic store Thursday night to get their hands on the newest gadget...
When will we learn our lesson? (09/08/12)
In a quick Twitter glimpse, I came across a "Time" article talking about an investigation into an Omaha school over the sexual abuse of a wrestler at summer training camp. I won't go into the details, but in a nutshell, this boy was repeatedly hazed and molested, and the school allegedly did nothing about it...
Tidbits: The value of work well done (09/01/12)
One of my favorite essays of all time is Dorothy Sayers' "Why Work?" Written during World War II, I'm amazed time and time again how applicable her words are even into the next century, even to someone who wasn't anywhere near alive during that time...
Tidbits: What we do matters now (08/11/12)
The LA Times published an article the other day about how twentysomethings have put life on "pause," so that they can "figure themselves out" before life really starts to matter. The article, written by the psychologist Meg Jay, featured "Katherine," a twentysomething client who was anxious about her future and seemed to "fill her mind with day-to-day drama" to distract herself...
Tidbits: Epically terrible and below average (08/04/12)
I went and saw "Step Up 4: The Revolution" last night. I went, after having watched all three of the previous movies in the franchise, expecting an epically terrible movie with amazing dancing. And that's exactly what I got. But, I was so excited when I saw the trailer for the movie "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." I haven't even read the book, and yet I still feel that it shaped my high school years, at least in some way...
Tidbits: Cheers to that big sporting event across the pond (07/28/12)
I wanted to write something about the Olympics. But, as it seems everyone with a social networking handle is writing about the Olympics, I didn't want to necessarily blend in. And then I came across a Popchips Facebook post: "Cheers to that big sporting event across the pond that we can't post about!"...
Our hearts break for the victims of Aurora (07/21/12)
I went and saw The Dark Knight Rises at midnight on Thursday night. I watched Bane and Batman go at it and I saw the story unfold and I left the theater on Friday morning completely mesmerized by the quality of the film I had just seen. When I woke up, I turned on the television and found out that, while the moviegoers at the Century 16 theatre in Aurora, Colo. expected to watch the same film, they instead experienced hell on Earth...
Tidbits: Living between the noise (07/14/12)
For the first time, probably since I got my driver's license, I turned off the radio last week. At the time, I was gearing up a podcast to listen to on my way to Sioux Center. But even after the podcast was finished, I kept the radio off. I drove in silence. And I've continued to drive this way for the past week...
Tidbits: Face Time (07/07/12)
I was talking last night with my husband and roommate about what life will be like for our children, specifically with how they use technology. Already, we notice a difference between us and next year's college graduates. We're technological, yes, but it seems like the younger the person, the more digital they've become...
Are you drinking enough water? (06/30/12)
It's almost been beaten into the ground. "Drink 8+ cups of water each day." "Our bodies are 70 percent water." "Hydrate!" It's true, and the fact is we don't think about it. Myself included. I've got a bright pink Nalgene bottle with me always, and I'm still lucky if I get 32 ounces in me for the day...
Tidbits: What does your social network say about you? (06/23/12)
I was having a conversation today about Twitter. I probably shouldn't go into too much detail, since it wasn't that intelligent of a conversation in the first place. But, regardless, it got me thinking about social networking. I'm a huge fan of social networks. ...
Tidbits: Taking back control of the kitchen (06/16/12)
In the past two weeks, I've reviewed two books dealing with food, food preparation, and the way they fit into the family dynamic. I'm not new to these types of books: in the past year or two I've become very interested in food science and in the way that we, as Americans and husbands and wives and employees and humans, view food...
Tidbits: Get your priorities straight (06/09/12)
I spent a large part of my day yesterday talking with a friend who was in a position that I hope never to be in myself. On top of the usual daily stresses that come with two toddlers and summer break, her husband is on deployment. Next week is the only week he gets of leave between now and next March, and he can't even leave El Paso to see his family. So my friend and some other army wives were going to drive down to their men...
Tidbits: What's your number? (06/02/12)
How much money would you need to make to be happy? It's one of those cliche questions, but about a year ago my husband and I sat down and came up with a number. Let me explain: This number does not guarantee our happiness, and we know this. It's very possible that we will never reach our goal. And even with this dollar sign looming above our heads, we are still happy where we're at...
Tidbits: Living lightly (05/26/12)
Last weekend, I walked through the streets of my hometown. I hadn't been "home" in almost two years, but not much had really changed. One thing I love about Holland, Mich. is that you can have a vacation in your own backyard. Between the beach and downtown, it's very easy to find peace, even if only for a few minutes...
Book Review: Afghani's playing cricket (05/18/12)
In 2000, the Taliban decided to adopt cricket as a national sport. Until this time, athletics of any sort were illegal, as they promoted celebration and rebellion. But appealing to the international cricket community, they hoped, would help them to gain acceptance from the rest of the world...
Music Review: A little more country, a little less rock 'n' roll (05/18/12)
"Born and Raised," by John Mayer. Columbia. John Mayer seems to tackle a new genre with each album he creates. And, maybe because he hasn't really done much with it before, Mayer used his latest album, "Born and Raised," to explore the roots of folk music...
Book Review: Polio took her dream; he gave her his (05/18/12)
"The Master's Muse," by Varley O'Connor. Scribner, 248 pp. $25. In 1953, Tanaquil "Tanny" Le Clercq, a talented young ballerina married to the artistic legend George Balanchine, woke up in her bed and could not feel her legs. She was a victim of polio, a highly-contagious disease that attacks the body from the central nervous system out. ...
Can't we all just get along? (05/12/12)
It seems that we've all been fighting lately. Not the sibling my-Barbie's-hair-wasn't-blue-yesterday kind of fighting that makes a really great story years down the road. We've gotten mean. If someone doesn't believe the same way politically/morally/spiritually, the options have been narrowed down to either a) don't bring up the touchy subjects, or b) don't talk to them at all...
Comfort food for the ear-buds (05/11/12)
Keane. "Strangeland" (Island Records) Something about Tom Chaplin's voice makes me melt. It's what makes Keane recognizable over the radio, and it's an easy voice to get lost in. Fans of Keane's earlier work will love "Strangeland". It's got the same piano-dominant sound that made them famous, and some of the melodies catch you by surprise, even though you've heard them a thousand times before...
"The Family Corleone" by Ed Falco. Grand Central, 436 pp. $27.99 (05/11/12)
Although it was a bestseller, Mario Puzo liked his original "Godfather" novel least of all. Regardless, the Corleone family made Puzo famous. The books all sold well, and the first two films earned him Academy Awards. But there was another screenplay he had written, one that he never produced. In fact, it's not until forty years after the original "Godfather" film that Ed Falco releases "The Family Corleone," a novel based on this un-produced screenplay...
Adulthood or Bust (05/11/12)
I'll admit, I was a little more than excited when this book came in. I've loved Jen Lancaster since ****Bitter Is the New Blackand I've been waiting for ****Jeneration Xfor about six months. Lancaster is an '80s baby, and she is not afraid to show it. John Hughes is her hero, Rick Springfield is her prophet, and anything boasting the label "as seen on TV!" is her Ambien-induced Nirvana...
Got motivation? (05/05/12)
I was thinking back through my week, trying to find something I could write about for this week's column. A common thread through my work this week dealt with motivation. Some of the stories dealt with motivating others. For example, Josh Siefken coming to the schools and speaking about graphic novels was, at least in part, meant to motivate the students in their own artwork. ...
Mayday! Mayday! (04/28/12)
Can you believe it's May already? It doesn't seem like much time has passed since we were ringing in the New Year and talking about the year of the dragon and all that it contains. And now we're almost halfway through. Of course, in my opinion Iowa is about as ready to let winter go as a mother is ready to watch her child walk across the stage and graduate. But summer is coming, and we just have to accept it...
I get by with a little help from my friends (04/21/12)
This was a big week for me. I was in four states, three airports, and two hotels. I spent less than 24 hours in Spencer between Monday afternoon and Friday night. But I think my theme for this week was community. I met people I only recognized by byline. I sat in a room with representatives of nearly every region of the United States and Canada. Very few of us had ever met each other before, but we all shared a common goal. We wrote for the same magazine...
A luddite no more (04/14/12)
The time has finally come. This weekend, for the first time ever, I will get my very own smartphone. This is one of those growing-up things for me. I will have a phone that does not identically match those of every single member of my family. I will be able to go to the store and pick up my shiny new toy and bring it home and finally be able to technologically stand alongside everyone else my age...
A new day (04/07/12)
This weekend is extra-special. We've been reminded over the past month or so about the promises and the sacrifices, but on Sunday morning we'll be able to breathe another sigh of relief. Life is beginning once again. We can see it the minute we look outside. ...
Tidbits (03/31/12)
I'm very interested in food science. I listen to the podcasts, I read the articles, and I try my hardest to keep the tips in mind when I'm at the grocery store or at a restaurant. But in all of my research and all of the opinions by every nutritionist, doctor, and fitness expert in the world, I have realized that there is no one way to eat right...
Tidbits (03/24/12)
I went and saw "Hunger Games" at midnight. I was super stoked for this. I've read all of the books. I remember, earlier this year, the white-knuckle grasp I held on my reader at 11:30 at night with 30 pages left to the final book. Where had the time gone? I had to work at seven the next morning, but there was no way I was going to set this thing down unfinished...
Tidbits (03/17/12)
I love St. Patrick's Day. Maybe it's because I like to think I'm part Irish (my left earlobe, if I'm not mistaken). Maybe it's because that's the day I was supposed to be born (I was Patty until Kate, a good gender-ambiguous name). Maybe it's none of these. But for some reason I like this holiday...
Tidbits (03/10/12)
I'm naturally an impulsive person. This impulse landed me in Austin, Texas and, though not as directly, to Spencer, Iowa. This impulse lead me to Chappelle, our first, highly destructive dog, and, again less-so, to our current pugs. But I've realized, this week with Madison Power's story and with my own puppy-related experience, none of us has any idea what will happen tomorrow. For that matter, we don't even know what will happen in the next hour...
Tidbits (03/03/12)
I'm a total Gleek. I'm a sucker for any music show: "Glee", now "Smash." And I love every musically delicious moment. I did an article on David Pietro and the Spencer jazz bands a week or two ago. After the concert I had the opportunity to interview him and I asked what advice he might have for a young, aspiring musician...
Tidbits (02/25/12)
I'm in the process of editing my book, poring through each story like I'm looking for gold. The gold that I'm looking for are the mistakes. Areas of the plots and characters that aren't quite right; some that are just plain wrong. Unfortunately for the story, and because I'm human, there are quite a few. But they're not all that bad. Some of them actually help me to understand the characters or the story better. What emerges is an even better version...
Tidbits (02/18/12)
Valentine's Day came and went, and it really wasn't that painful, was it? Whether you went to go see "The Vow" or "This Means War," you woke up the next morning, alive and well. I've been reading "Hector and the Secrets of Love" by Francois Lelord. I didn't plan it, necessarily, to read during the high holiday of young love. But I love me some Hector and I ran with it...
Tidbits (02/11/12)
Right about now is the time when the New Year's Resolutions start falling to a pile somewhere between "I really should do that," and "I'll get around to it tomorrow." And of course, if we are to finish Garth Brook's adage, "If tomorrow never comes," we inevitably come to the realization that we'll probably be OK. After all, we managed to do just fine up until now...
Kate Padilla
Tidbits