I got ghosted – dumped by a guy who just disappeared on me, no explanation – after three months of lovey-dovey dating. Clearly, he isn’t a great person, yet I’m unable to stop thinking about him and wondering why he left. How do I accept that it’s over so I can start dating again? – Plagued […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
Visit Alton – historic and quirky
Alton is a curiosity-seeker’s paradise. Where else can you celebrate the 100th birthday of the world’s tallest man, pay homage to an anti-slavery and press freedom martyr, marvel at antique torture devices and possibly commune with ghosts, only 85 miles from Springfield? In fact, Alton has so much history related to the Civil War, floods […]
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The last stare fighter
I’m a 28-year-old woman who has been single for over five years. I’m steering clear of dating sites right now because of how so many guys portray themselves in ways that are very different from how they are in person. But then, in day-to-day life, when I smile at a guy I like, he’ll usually […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Positive effects of spending local
A community’s local businesses are often what write the town’s history, initiate and maintain traditions and give a community its special characteristics. Shopping local also creates a positive ripple effect throughout the entire community.Your money supports your communityWhen you spend local, it stays local. It pays local workers, who send their children to local schools […]
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Shopping local by the numbers
See how much shopping local can affect your community with these fast facts.Let’s talk small businesses• According to the Small Business Administration, there are 29 million small businesses across the United States. • These businesses account for 99.7 percent of all business in the country and provide 47 percent of the nation’s jobs, according to […]
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Many ways to eat local
Eating local has a more authentic flavor. By eating local, you support local families, but you are also more likely to consume items that are locally sourced and grown. Here are just a few ways to eat locally. Find a new placeMost of us are creatures of habit, and it’s easy to fall into the […]
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Paint and suffering
I’m doing some work on my landlady’s house. She just cannot figure out what color to paint it. Now, when a man paints his house, he goes to Home Depot, grabs a few cans of paint and starts right in. Simple. Git ‘er done. Not so with a woman. She’ll agonize endlessly over a bunch of paint chips. […]
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Ambivalence actually
My boyfriend of two years read my diary and found out that I had expressed feelings for another guy while we were together. I never acted on them (and I wouldn’t have), and I probably shouldn’t have told the guy I liked him. But my boyfriend shouldn’t have been reading my diary. He broke up […]
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The arf of reading people
I’m a woman who judges potential boyfriends by whether dogs like them. My friends think I’m crazy, but I’m convinced that my dog picks up on who a person really is. Is there any research on whom animals are drawn to? – Muttperson Dogs have proved useful for sniffing out drug stashes, dead bodies and […]
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Waif watchers
I’m a 33-year-old woman, and I’ve always been thin. I lost about 12 pounds after a tough breakup. I’m working on getting back to a healthier weight. However, people keep making cutting remarks about how thin I look. Yesterday a friend said, “You’re so skinny it’s gross!” I’d noticed that she’d gained quite a bit […]
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Bringing the world into the classroom
Mention the Galapagos Islands and many think of tortoises or Charles Darwin. Layne Zimmers discovered there is so much more to this area of the world when she was selected as a Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Fellow and had the chance to spend eight days with photographers, naturalists and storytellers on the Islands […]
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Ireland’s ambassador visits Mother Jones
On May 4, Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States, Daniel Mulhall, visited the Mother Jones Monument in Mount Olive, where he met with Northern Illinois University Prof. Rosemary Feurer, director of the Mother Jones Heritage Project. Mulhull traveled to central Illinois with Brian O’Brien, Consul General of Ireland, whose office is in Chicago. The ambassador […]
