Daily Dunklin Democrat: Opinion

Use what you already have... (11/06/09)
Whether it's diluting dish soap to get the last drops or using free samples, I use up items I have on hand before purchasing something new. This is a way of life in our household. With prices climbing, I'm happy to share a few reader-submitted tips for using what you already have or are doing without...

Thanks, Dad (11/05/09)
I lost my father on September 17th, just 12 days shy of his 99th birthday. I've been thinking a lot lately about all the changes Dad witnessed in his long life. He started farming with mules and his grain auger was a scoop shovel. I think about that whenever I'm feeling like I've got it tough because the air conditioning is out in my tractor cab; that complaint did not garner me much sympathy from Dad...

Easy as Pumpkin Pie (11/04/09)
Let us look at another way to use spices this Thanksgiving Season to make a pie, an easy No Bake Pumpkin Pie with a press-in crumb crust. Requires only 15 minutes oven baking and has a creamy filling with a fresher, brighter pumpkin flavor than the old traditional pie...

Deer and driving (11/03/09)
Fewer daylight hours means more of us will be driving after dark. And this is the mating season for the plentiful deer in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. This combination means motorists needs to be on the lookout for deer darting onto highways...

The good, the ad and the ugly (11/01/09)
"Do you have NOPQ? If so, ask your doctor about Nopquease." I can't tell you how many times I've watched commercials for medicine on TV without ever figuring out what malady the medicine is supposed to cure. "Do you have shortness of breath? Loss of ear hair? Painful fingernails? Does your coffee smell like tea? You may be suffering from NOPQ. Ask your doctor about Nopquease, the only FDA-approved antidote for EFGHI, the medicine we were pushing last year...

Don't freeze out your car battery (11/01/09)
Modern electrical and fuel systems can start a car with minimal cranking, so you might not know that your battery needs replacing until it's too late. That's why Consumer Reports recommends having your car's battery tested annually by a qualified mechanic as part of regular maintenance, when it's 2 years old if you live in a warmer climate or 4 years old if you're in a colder climate. ...

War on Fox News diminishes the White House (11/01/09)
Presidents usually turn to their secretaries of state for foreign-policy advice. But Barack Obama must have been channeling Hillary Clinton when he decided to attack Fox News. It was Clinton, of course, who blamed her husband's troubles during Monica Madness on a "vast right-wing conspiracy." Now White House communications director Anita Dunn is accusing Fox of operating as "a wing of the Republican Party."...

Rainy weather taking toll on crops (11/01/09)
This year has been a very difficult one for crop producers. We started the year with a delay in planting due to the excess soil moisture. The Missouri Crop Progress and Condition report for the week ending May 10 showed that only 26 percent of our cotton was planted compared with the average of 62 percent, which is 11 days behind the average. ...

"Weekend @ Mizzou" (11/01/09)
In keeping with my current line of subject matter (i.e. myself), I hereby present the following blow-by-blow account of the Mitchell family's Homecoming Weekend in Columbia. The drive up Thursday night, if you recall, was rain-soaked every furlong of the way. Was physically exhausted by the time we topped the last hill on I-70 and was reminded of all those trips back in the early 1980's...

It could always be worse (11/01/09)
Enough already I doubt there are any among us who are concerned about drought conditions in southeast Missouri or northeast Arkansas right now. One farmer, who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, made the comment last week that it occurred to him he had been watching a lot more college football this year than he could remember in the past. Then it also dawned on him why that was the case...

Every child matters (10/30/09)
Fifty children died from abuse and neglect in Missouri in 2007, ranking the state fifth in such deaths nationwide, according to the Every Child Matters Educational Fund. Child abuse is a societal problem with so many causes and responses that entire agencies, professions, and organizations have been created to address it. ...

A different kind of Thanksgiving dressing (10/28/09)
The many different flavors in the cultures of Louisiana seem to just blend together into what is called "Cajun cooking". Cajun cooking with friendly people, warm weather, and lively music and dancing is just great for me. Thanksgiving is coming before we know it and getting started now with new ideas will make your week of home town cooking never to be forgotten. During the next few articles I will give you some ideas that I have gathered in New Orleans...

DWI offenders (10/27/09)
When a motorist gets behind the wheel after drinking too much, he or she risks injury or death. And he or she puts all other motorists on the road and their passengers at risk. Following an in-depth story earlier this month in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about how repeat DWI offenders escape serious charges and convictions, Gov. ...

Time For Talk Schedule (10/25/09)
Monday, Oct. 26 Ward Billings - Principal of the Year More than 250 people from around the area attended a special reception at the Kennett Middle School cafeteria Thursday afternoon last week to honor the Southeast Region Middle School Principal of the Year, Ward Billings. ...

Q: What is Little River Canyon? (10/25/09)
A: A Hidden Secret. For a long time the Panhandle Gulf Coast was considered Florida's Hidden Secret. This has changed drastically over the past few years. The white sands and blue/green waters has lured many people, including the "Snow Birds" from Canada who come down in the winter to swim in waters far too cold for the average southerner. Even people from the Bootheel have invested in property on the Gulf Coast, and live there at certain times of the year...

Raise cash in a flash (10/25/09)
A day might come when you need money quickly. Not a situation where you're simply experiencing a tight budget for a day or two, but when your basic necessities are on the line. Maybe you don't have enough money to put gas in your car or food is running low. What can you do? If you've been in this situation before, tell me what you've done to get through it...

Avoiding Rabies (10/25/09)
With cold season, seasonal flu and H1N1 flu to worry about, there's no need to panic over the increase in rabies cases across Missouri. But an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure. Missouri's public health veterinarian, Dr. Howard Pue, said there have been 55 cases of rabies in the state through September, a number that usually equals the total for an entire year...

Recycled Pumpkins (10/25/09)
How many pumpkins do you think go unused except to decorate our front porch for Halloween? All too often we forget that these special squash can serve other purposes throughout the season. The obvious first choice for using all the parts of a pumpkin is to take the meat, or the insides that you scoop out when making your jack-o-lantern, and use it in a recipe. ...

Another quarantine looming? (10/25/09)
Not my fault The third annual Kennett Cup was played at the local course last Sunday. The event is held as a benefit for the Delta Children's Home. We've covered it in the newspaper and KAIT television station actually found its way here for a good news story...

"My Grandfather is Don Draper" (10/25/09)
Know that TV show "Mad Men"? The one about ad executives and their lives set in the early 1960's that's supposed to be so spot-on when it comes to style, attitude, even set design and props? Well my grandfather, one Mr. Joseph Russell Bankhead, Esq. lived it...

Signing petitions (10/23/09)
Missouri has a long tradition of direct participation by voters in making state laws and changing the state's constitution. These initiatives are placed on the ballot by petitions, which require from 90,000 to 150,000 signatures. As of Oct 9, a record 71 initiatives had been proposed, with 24 approved for the signature-gathering process. ...

Honor Tour (10/22/09)
On Friday the 16th of October a group of very honored citizens of the area left on the trip of their life. This group is a part of a larger group that is dropping in numbers by the rate of more than 1200 each day. The youngest of this larger group is 79+ years old. ...

Gnocchi of Potato with Butter and Cheese (10/21/09)
Gnocchi (pronounced nee-okkee) are dumplings made from semolina flour, wheat flour, all purpose flour or potatoes. Are you tired of pasta and don't feel like making a risotto? Gnocchi is an All-Italian classic fantastic that is served with all sorts of sauces, from the richest winter meat sauce to a simple summer tomato sauce...

GrandFamily conference scheduled (10/18/09)
The theme of the conference is ?Sharing and Caring, Challenges and Triumphs; Resources for Relatives Raising Children.? The conference is free, but pre-registration is required to insure adequate seating, materials and lunch. To register, you may call Jackie Dover at 1-800-392-8771. Or you fill out a registration form on the brochure and mail to SEMO Area on Aging, 1219 N. Kingshighway, Suite 100, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. The registration deadline is November 3rd...