Opinion
By STEVE EIGHINGER Daily Dirt for July 31, 2021Go ahead, make my day. I’m in a Clint Eastwood kind of mood. I hope you enjoy Vol. 23 of the Daily Dirt. 1. One of my favorite movie stars, filmmakers and overall personalities is Clint Eastwood. From his early days on “Rawhide” to his spaghetti western…
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Daily Dirt for July 30, 2021 by Steve Eighinger Another day, another three thoughts. This, folks, is Vol. 22 of the Daily Dirt: 1. The older I get, the more fascinated I become with birds. A few years ago, I began spending more and more time on our pack porch area watching cardinals, blue jays and whatever…
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by Steve Eighinger Fellow baby boomers, think back to your formative years and how much fun it was growing up without cell phones and only two or three channels available on that primitive — and cumbersome — black-and-white TV set in your living room. We actually went outside and played, rather than staring at a…
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We’re getting closer to fall and the return of those garage sales and our favorite TV programs by Steve Eighinger Daily Dirt for July 29, 2021If you haven’t noticed, summer is rapidly leaving us in its rear-view mirror. That said, here are three items to look forward to as fall rapidly approaches. Welcome to the…
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The Quincy Salvation Army was on hand to assist with the displacement of the 300 people living at the Welcome Inn before the City of Quincy condemned the property on Tuesday. The Salvation Army has done great work in Hannibal and Quincy for decades. We ring bells and fill red buckets to help those needing…
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Daily Dirt for July 28, 2021 by Steve Eighinger Gimme the board games and tabletop fun, keep your computers When it comes to board games, that’s exactly what I want — not any modern-day computer gizmo things. I like to roll dice and move my game pieces by hand. With that in mind, welcome to…
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By WILL HENDRICKSONFor the Missouri Independent Missouri has become the latest battleground in the war against COVID-19. Not only are we battling the Delta virus and its uncontrolled spread, we are also battling the clock — or should I say calendar? The summer is quickly passing and before too long we will be back in…
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by Steve Eighinger Everyone loves a good summer movie, including the Daily Dirt. See why in Vol. 19: 1. Has there ever been a better overall summer film than 1978’s “National Lampoon’s Animal House?” I’m normally not one to watch a movie over and over, but this is one of them. This movie, at least for…
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By Steve Eighinger Ahh…few things are better than a boffo box office summertime movieOne of my favorite obsessions has always been going to the movies, and with the theaters beginning to re-open I’m sure I’m not the only one who is again looking forward to enjoying some stale popcorn, watered-down cola — and films on…
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by Steve Eighinger So, the Tokyo Olympics are underway. I haven’t yet caught Olympic fever, but here are a few reflections on the first few days of competition in Vol. 18 of the Daily Dirt: 1. I’ve had some early takeaways from what constitutes the 32nd modern Olympiad: A. Five of the newest events are 3×3…
Read Full Article Daily Dirt for July 26, 2021 by Steve Eighinger Love is still a many splendored thing. Vol. 18 of the Daily Dirt might help explain why: 1. The most underrated love song ever? I would suggest Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.” I consider it Clapton’s finest overall piece — ever. His guitar-playing ability is little more than…
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By BRITTANY BOLLSpecial for Muddy River News As I scrolled through social media, it seems the Midwest trend this vacation season was destination Destin. It was the choice for us and the 4.5 other million visitors of the Emerald Coast every year. Many minds think alike. The great ones make it happen. My family and…
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Daily Dirt for July 24, 2021 by Steve EighingerIf you agree snacks are an all-important part of life, welcome aboard Vol. 16 of the Daily Dirt: 1. Here’s my own personal ranking for snacks that came along during the 1960s-1980s period, a.k.a. the formative years for my digestive system. I should note that most of the…
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By MARK GLENNONWirepoints How many fibs can Gov. JB Pritzker pack in a ten-minute interview? Count ’em: Jerry Nowicki of Capital News Illinois challenged Pritzker on why the $4.2 billion deficit in Illinois’ unemployment trust fund has been ignored, and asked why it wasn’t reduced using funds from federal government under ARPA, the American Rescue Plan Act. This…
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Daily Dirt for July 23, 2021 by Steve Eighinger If you’re a grandparent, I hope you enjoy Vol. 15 of the Daily Dirt: 1. Anyone who is a grandparent understands how special they are, in one way or another. These three famous quotes emphasize that point: “My grandkids believe I’m the oldest thing in the…
Read Full Article By STEVE EIGHINGER I love sports-themed films. That cinematic addiction started during my early years of grade school. The first movie I remember being drawn to was the 1940 Pat O’Brien classic, “Knute Rockne, All-American.” I’ve probably watched that movie on at least a dozen occasions, and each time my eyes seem to fill with…
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Daily Dirt for July 22, 2021 by STEVE EIGHINGER Today’s Daily Dirt was prepared with the mechanically challenged in mind. Welcome to Vol. 14: 1. There were more than a few occupations I never had a chance of taking part in, such as: Mechanic: My dad and older brother were both mechanics and enjoyed anything and…
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With apologies to Aerosmith, there is no love in the elevators of the Adams County Courthouse. The county has been wrangling with the issue of its elevators for years. One of them basically has been out of service for about two years. At a special meeting Tuesday night that lasted about 45 minutes, the county’s…
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Daily Dirt for July 21, 2021 The Daily Dirt marches on … welcome to Vol. 13: 1. Best hair bands ever? How about these? A. Bon Jovi: After all of these years, still livin’ on a prayer. B. Cinderella: The critics loved this bunch, but not much mainstream acceptance. Lead singer Tom Keifer is one…
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By JAY VAN LUVENFor The Missouri Times There are things we can control about our health and others we cannot. No matter how much we exercise or eat right, sometimes we get sick. Genes can affect our susceptibility to certain conditions; my own family tree has a long line of medical concerns. By the same token,…
Read Full Article by Steve Eighinger It’s always a challenge to cram as much info as possible into the Daily Dirt. Well, we’ve succeeded again in Vol. 12: 1. It’s been 29 years since “Some Gave All” was released, the Billy Ray Cyrus patriotic anthem, and I’m not ashamed to admit I still love that song. (“Achy Breaky…
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INDIAN CREEK, Mo. — If it’s 102 degrees in the shade in mid-July, then it must be time for the St. Stephen’s Parish picnic. Sunday’s temperatures in the mid 80s made for an uncharacteristically perfect day. St. Stephen’s, commonly known as Swinkey, was established in 1833. It is the oldest Catholic parish in the Diocese…
Read Full Article By Steve Eighinger Can there possibly be a better time of year than the middle of the summer? It’s sunny. It’s warm. The roads are free of ice and snow. Well, you get the point. There are, however, some items dealing with this time of the year that can be overrated, such as iced tea. I…
Read Full Article By Steve Eighinger Mango, you say? Vol. 17 of the Daily Dirt should answer that question: 1. I love Jell-O. I always have, preferably with some sort of fruit in it. Ever wonder how many flavors of Jell-O there are? Well, the answer is 26. They are apricot, berry blue, black cherry, blackberry, blackberry fusion,…
Read Full Article By STEVE EIGHINGER G’day, mates! Welcome to Vol. 10: 1. Remember back to July 1981? That’s 40 years ago for those who have a little trouble with math. These were the most popular summer songs that month.A. “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes: One of my top five all-time favorites outside of anything recorded by Rod Stewart.B.…
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