Opinion

To the Editor, Has anyone noticed the increase in water and sewer bills? Didn’t we vote against said increases? Didn’t City Council institute new rates anyway? We voted them in and they abused the voting process. This is ludicrous. Maybe they should resign or we should resign them all...

Aries: Just because an old situation is water under the bridge doesn’t mean you should grab an inner tube and go for a swim. Leave it alone and find a new puddle to play in. Taurus: Something good is just around the corner, but you’ll need to cross the street, tip a busker and invent a secret handshake before you get there. Wear a fedora and trenchcoat for extra style points...

Coconut oil is absolutely amazing. People from the tropics knew very well the many benefits of rubbing this on the skin and hair as well as cooking with it or eating it by the spoonful. Most people don’t know that it is the source for a very strong, yet safe, for even babies, anti-microbial called Monolaurin...

In the book I’m reading that takes place during WWII, I read that Hitler was credited for Germany’s “Economic Miracle.” At the same time, I’m hearing on TV that Trump’s tax plan will be a “Middle Class Miracle.”  So I Google Hitler’s miracle and see that it was essentially a slight-of-hand card trick prior to WWII involving removing people from the unemployment ranks — illegal for Jews to work, Germans taking the Jewish people’s jobs, German housewives stay at home to raise children.  In addition Germans have to serve in the military before being allowed to go to college, military spending is greatly increased so steel and coal factories ramp up, and there’s an increased production of some household goods, such as refrigerators, so people feel good.. ...

At least 50 people dead. More than 500 injured. That’s the news most of us woke up to on Monday morning after a gunman opened fire on concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas Sunday night. In many ways, it’s the same story we hear every time a crazy person kills a bunch of people with a gun...

Aries: There’s a spring in your step this week. Either you have a new sweetie, or you just found a community of spiders living in your underwear drawer. Doesn’t matter which one it is, you’re still going to need some new undies. Taurus: Some shine like a diamond, but you shine like a fresh sheet of aluminum foil. Your sparkle only lasts until someone wraps you around leftover pizza. You may not catch everyone’s eye after that, but hey, free pizza!...

Catfish, bass and bluegill can be great eating and a lot of fun in the getting but you have to go to the ocean for heart-saving benefits from fish. You see, eating coldwater ocean fish like salmon and fresh tuna may reduce coronary artery disease (CAD) which then reduces the chance of heart attack or stroke. While I have written about this before, I thought it important to say again because of a powerful article in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition...

Here I am again, spending my retirement writing to my representatives instead of relaxing. Don’t get me wrong, I have to do this because I cannot trust you to protect my democracy. I will continue to do this dozens of times every week along with going to resistance meetings, protests, voter registrations and citizen rights rallies until I feel my rights and freedoms and the rights and freedoms of all Americans are safe again. ...

Last year, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn’t stand and salute the flag while the National Anthem played as part of pregame procedure. Kaepernick was protesting the unfair treatment of the black community in America, specifically the killings of unarmed black men nationwide. He didn’t scream or incite violence to make a statement, but he certainly made a statement...

Aries: You’ve brought a banana to a gunfight, but that’s OK. The other person brought granola and milk. Turns out you’re both really bad at identifying weaponry, but excellent at breakfast. Taurus: A work situation has you worried. Relax. Your boss did join Instagram, but he probably won’t recognize his own car in all your ‘arty’ nude photos. Still wouldn’t hurt to freshen up your resume, just in case...

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is an amazing herb backed by tradition and supported by science. Oriental medicine has used it for thousands of years and is called variously Beg Kei, Bei Qi or Hwanggi.  Fortunately, I don’t have to pronounce these as Astragalus grows abundantly in the United States.  Here, the common names are Membranous Milk Vetch, Astragali, Tragacanth or simply Astragalus...

In my walks through our hamlet we call Eureka Springs, I am told that I live in the past. I do miss the times when we did not have shooting in our schools or bombs exploding in concerts. Here in Eureka we are protected from this current evil and have a small group to say thank you to for keeping us safe and protected. ...

For the second consecutive year, Carroll County Newspapers is sponsoring an essay contest on texting while driving. We offered the contest to Eureka Springs students last year through the Lovely County Citizen, and I’m super excited to branch out to the rest of the county. This year, anyone in Carroll County between 14 and 19 can enter the contest...

Aries: Just when you come up for air, a seagull bombs your head. Poo bombs may be good luck, but they really screw with your hairdo. Dog paddle toward land and you’ll be out of the line of fire. Taurus: When you don’t get what you want, it’s called experience. When you do get what you want, it’s called luck. When you get what someone else wants, it’s called opportunity. But first, you’re entitled to one free chant of “neener neener.”...

If I were going to choose just one antioxidant out of dozens that stand out, the choice would be surprisingly easy. Understand, standout antioxidants include vitamin E, C, Grapeseed Extract, Pycnogenol, NAC as well as a long list of others. Antioxidants are needed as they do many good things for us like getting rid of nasties that can be very harmful to our health in the long run. The one I would choose is Alpha Lipoic Acid...

We straight, white, privileged Americans must be willing to lay down our privilege and our lives for those who are not. They need our compassion and protection. Be ready and willing for them to use your home for a refuge. We cannot let the predators win. If you have any reason to suspect that anyone intends harm against anyone, report it. If you can, stop it. Love, not hate, makes America great.   ...

Aries: Put your best foot forward, and you’ll likely find all those Lego bricks someone left in the carpet. You’ll be late to work again, but at least you’ll invent a brand new dance. Taurus: Looking on the bright side is a little tough since the universe upgraded to LED bulbs. Find some sunglasses so you don’t have a Clint Eastwood squint, unless you like saying “Make my day” to everyone, and then spending fifteen minutes explaining the reference to millennials...

I haven’t written about this herb in a long while, so here is an update. Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) is one of the most ancient herbal medicines, dating back 2,000 years.  The old ones would use this artichoke-like plant, which produces a prickly yet beautiful flower, mostly for liver, prostate and kidney problems. ...

I feel obliged to remark on the last week’s LCC poll on the removal of Confederate monuments. I’m asking those who oppose their removal to open the empathetic parts of their brains and hearts, keeping in mind that the color of skin in which we were born was not our choice. An acquaintance told me, “The monuments in my hometown celebrate the men who fought to keep those who look like me enslaved, not those who fought for freedom.” ...

In this week’s paper, there are multiple articles about the way Eurekans are trying to help the people in Texas who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. ECHO Thrift Store is sending a semi-truck packed full of donations on Friday, the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a diaper drive and another group is gathering miscellaneous donations...

Aries: If you’re looking for your common sense, it’s shriveled up and under the couch with some lint-covered M&Ms and a really old banana. Dig it out, rinse it off and nurse it back to health. You’ll need it soon. Taurus: You’re not bulletproof, your enemies just have bad aim. Bake them some cookies and make amends. You’ll have time to steal their paintball guns while they’re trying to digest your dismal cooking...

School has started. Kids typically hate it while parents typically love it. Marketers jump into selling everything from computers to pencils to the trendiest kids’ clothes. I saw a sample table at a semi-local large club store featuring back-to-school supplements. This is a clever marketing approach, though a bit of a stretch...

Mr. Mayor, I would like to congratulate you on the efficiency of your city employees during our recent stay in Eureka Springs. In the five minutes it took me to take our luggage from our car and check in to the Palace Hotel, I received the enclosed parking ticket. ...

There’s a competition on Survivor where two people from each tribe have to hold a net and everyone else tosses coconuts in the nets. When enough coconuts build up, it becomes impossible to hold the net anymore. The last person holding their net wins the challenge for their tribe...

Aries: Your boss thinks you’ve jumped from the frying pan to the fire. They don’t realize you will slide past the fire, leapfrog off the stove and shimmy out of the kitchen until you find the couch and large-screen TV in the den. That’ll show them. Taurus: People say the best defense is a good offense, but they haven’t tried running while wearing a tie-dyed pinafore and screaming “It’s the aliens again!” Some just aren’t as resourceful as you when it comes to self-defense or competency hearings...

The hair on top of our head is seen by everybody and often it is what folks base their first impression upon. Additionally, it does provide a protective function to our head and body. A good diet and proper supplementation can enhance hair health. We all know of male pattern baldness; however, many do not know that women often lose hair count or the thickness of individual strands thins with age. ...

Editor, Those of you who have not heard of the Unconditional Love Pet Rescue may be unaware of a fine animal rescue facility in the community which may be forced to close because of lack of funds. One of the partners has suffered an accident, is not able (for now) to do the critical work for which she was responsible...

Aries: Be careful thinking you’re a big fish in a small pond; you might actually be a brine shrimp that some cosmic kid bought through the mail. Enjoy your Mason jar and make sure you’re wearing arm floaties when he shakes you up. Taurus: Staying positive isn’t that hard. All it takes is the right end of the battery. Get out of the house and recharge, because right now no one would get a tingle if they licked you...

Here is an interesting natural product which crosses between the typical prescribed medicines and yet is fully sourced from nutritional supplements. The prescription drug is named Metanx and can only be gotten from a medical doctor. However, it is made up of three nutritional supplements which can be bought cheaply from specialty supplement stores. The following is a cut and paste description of Metanx from Wikipedia online;...