Steve Booher
Monday, Nov. 17, 2008
Monday, Nov. 3, 2008
Monday, Oct. 27, 2008
Monday, Oct. 20, 2008
Monday, Oct. 13, 2008
Monday, Oct. 6, 2008
Monday, Sept. 15, 2008
Monday, Sept. 8, 2008
Monday, Aug. 25, 2008
Monday, Aug. 18, 2008
Monday, Aug. 11, 2008
Monday, Aug. 4, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Monday, Feb. 25, 2008
Friday, Feb. 22, 2008
Monday, Feb. 18, 2008
Monday, Feb. 11, 2008
Monday, Jan. 28, 2008
Monday, Jan. 21, 2008
Monday, Jan. 14, 2008
Monday, Dec. 31, 2007
Monday, Dec. 24, 2007
Monday, Dec. 3, 2007
Monday, Nov. 19, 2007
Monday, Nov. 12, 2007
Monday, Nov. 5, 2007
Monday, Oct. 29, 2007
Monday, Oct. 22, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Monday, Nov. 17, 2008
Like some people, I have a knack for remembering things. Not important things, like where I laid the car keys or the exact date of my anniversary. But I remember debates, disputes and arguments.
There indeed are advantages to living in St. JosephMonday, Nov. 3, 2008
On Election Day Eve, it’s easy to feel depressed. For the past few months, we’ve been bombarded by campaign commercials, ads and literature that say America is facing financial, economic and moral crises.
Prop A: It’s not about educationMonday, Oct. 27, 2008
When visiting a casino, I rarely make it past the restaurant. For some reason, a well-stocked chow line lures me more than the green felt of a blackjack table or flashing lights of a slot machine. Thus, my casino losses usually total the price of two buffets, two iced teas and a generous gratuity.
So, I really don’t care if Proposition A passes or fails next week.
Monday, Oct. 20, 2008
Every now and then, my head gets bombarded with useless facts and snippets of stories and I need to write about them to cleanse my brain, kind of like when I pull all the sticky notes off of my computer monitor. Here, then, is a small collection of my cranial Post-It notes.
The 'lie-o-meter' could tell us a lot about politiciansMonday, Oct. 13, 2008
In the past few weeks, voters have listened to two debates, read a ton of news stories, watched a thousand commercials and received hundreds of pieces of campaign mail. All that, and I still don’t have the foggiest idea who I will vote for in a few weeks.
A bailout by any other name stinks for taxpayersMonday, Oct. 6, 2008
Imagine that a mother enters her kitchen and notices the lid to the cookie jar lying on the counter.
Monday, Sept. 15, 2008
As weather popularity goes, hurricanes have taken a huge lead over tornadoes in the past few years. Face it, tornadoes might strike more quickly and carry — cloud for cloud — more destructive power, but hurricanes, with their movements tracked and projected by every weather predictor in the Western Hemisphere, are definitely the sexier storm.
Despite e-mail fodder, McCain makes smart moveMonday, Sept. 8, 2008
A month ago, I would have flunked a social studies pop quiz that included the question: Who is the governor of Alaska?
Proud to be an American — and willing to prove itMonday, Aug. 25, 2008
Common sense dictates that if you’re looking for drug dealers, you probably aren’t going to find any in a Sunday school class. And, if you’re looking to round up illegal immigrants, well, there’s probably not many working at your daily newspaper.
Double standard has a way of turning against the U.S.Monday, Aug. 18, 2008
I grew up with a fairly eccentric group of childhood friends. There was “Mooch,” who would eat anything. “Zero” was banned from most grocery stores because he’d steal anything at any time. “Cobs” was a big ole strong farm boy who could toss a square hay bale about 20 yards.
Don’t blame sports for lopsided academic honorsMonday, Aug. 11, 2008
Last week, we published a letter to the editor from C.M. Stebner, a visitor to our fair city from Margate, Fla. Mr. or Ms. Stebner (I can’t determine gender from initials) read our June 15 edition that contained our Top 10 Students feature. In the letter, he or she does a bit of statistical analysis and comes to the conclusion that there is too heavy an influence on sports and that’s what holds boys back academically.
Magazine offers CliffsNotes on wide variety of collegesMonday, Aug. 4, 2008
Every year, it makes news. Every year, plenty of high school seniors check it out — as do their parents. I’m talking, of course, about The Princeton Review’s list of top 10 “party schools.”
Obama shows courage by urging responsibilityMonday, July 21, 2008
Hi. I’m Steve Booher, and I approved this column.
The story of Fannie and Freddie -- and your mortgageMonday, July 14, 2008
Tell you what, let’s take care of a little business this morning, OK? Pull out the checkbook or log on to your bank’s Web site and make your house payment. Pay it in full.
Finding a 'humane' method of execution proves a struggleMonday, July 7, 2008
Monday morning probably isn’t the time to debate the question of whether a state should impose the death penalty on those convicted of brutal and heinous murders. And you can’t decide that anyway after reading just a few sentences written on an opinion page of a daily newspaper.
Maybe Alberto Meloni had some good ideas after allTuesday, July 1, 2008
Anyone who is over the age of 35 probably remembers raking leaves as a kid. Back then, doing any kind of yard work around the neighborhood was a good way to throw a few extra bucks into your pocket.
‘Pregnancy pact’ girls should blame themselves mostlyMonday, June 23, 2008
Gloucester, Mass., High School is about the size of St. Joseph’s Central. Recently, the school announced that 17 of its female students had become pregnant as the result of a “pregnancy pact.”
On sandbags, office furniture and flagpoles: Editor unclutters mindMonday, June 16, 2008
Every now and then, it’s a good idea to unclog your mind and give a voice to the random thoughts that just sort of orbit around your brain. I always write my random thoughts down on a scrap of paper or the back of a business card and toss them on my desk.
Here's an idea for a terrific Father's Day giftMonday, June 9, 2008
Dr. Randy Pausch was a computer science professor who spent his career developing virtual reality software at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, Pa. He’s also dying of pancreatic cancer.
It could be a pretty rough summerMonday, May 26, 2008
Today is Memorial Day and, for me, that always signals the beginning of summer. I don’t care about dates on a calendar or the sun’s position in relation to the equator. As soon as cable television starts showing war movie marathons, it’s time to fire up the barbecue, dig out the cargo shorts and take the top off the Jeep Wrangler.
Sometimes life isn’t fairMonday, May 19, 2008
I guess I don’t understand what the big deal is about junior high graduation anyway. Yeah, I think it’s important to recognize accomplishments, but students have another four years left before they get their diplomas. I think junior high graduation is jumping the gun a bit.
Remember MomMonday, May 12, 2008
I’m not big on using catchy slogans or heartfelt platitudes. People borrow them to artificially create feelings or character traits that should already be embedded in their personality. And, at best, such sayings are fleeting. As soon as a catchy phase
You have a problem?Monday, May 5, 2008
Any columnist who has produced a body of work over the span of a few years has heard how easy his or her job must be.
It doesn’t take a survey to gauge consumer sentimentMonday, April 28, 2008
It’s late April. Let’s take stock of where things stand.
Hmm … let’s see …
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sometimes, you just can’t rely on the federal government and it’s best to take matters into your own hands.
For this task, I'm in no big hurryMonday, April 7, 2008
I admit that I’m little bipolar when it comes to doing difficult or messy jobs. For instance, every day I try to pick out my least favorite task and knock it out early so I can enjoy the rest of the day.
Kids do the dumbest thingsMonday, March 24, 2008
Most of us remember riding a school bus at one time or another. You’d pull a girl’s hair in the seat in front of you or poke a seatmate. You’d call someone a name or tease them. It’s tough for a kid riding a bus to keep quiet and enjoy the ride.
Some deals are too good to be trueMonday, March 17, 2008
Here’s an easy question. Imagine you’re walking down the street and you come to a busy corner. You look over and see a car run through a solid red light into the intersection. What do you think will happen?
Easy answer, right?
Monday, March 10, 2008
American author Greg Anderson is credited with saying, “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”
Will Great Plains be better than Aquila? We'll have to wait and seeMonday, March 3, 2008
I probably won’t ever forget the ice storm in December. Even a couple of months later, you can drive around town and see the storm’s evidence stacked in people’s yards, broken and trimmed tree limbs piled by the curb awaiting pickup. Even after the final branch is collected and hauled off to the Great Incinerator, the storm’s memories will linger.
Hey, nice hairMonday, Feb. 25, 2008
You know, the power of suggestion can be pretty potent.
Local students talk with soldiers in IraqFriday, Feb. 22, 2008
It is a big beach, with no water. That was the description one U.S. soldier stationed somewhere in Iraq gave St. Joseph Christian students Friday over a satellite link-up.
Our schools deserve a shotMonday, Feb. 18, 2008
It’s the cold and flu season. For the past few weeks, many of us have been walking around coughing, sneezing, aching and running a fever. It’s just that time of the year when viruses seem to run rampant and infect everybody.
What Would Japan Do?Monday, Feb. 11, 2008
What Would Japan Do?
Blunt called it quits for a reasonMonday, Jan. 28, 2008
Nobody’s really sure what led Gov. Matt Blunt to make his shocking announcement last week that he wouldn’t seek another term as governor. Plenty of theories abound, but nobody really knows for sure.
Pandering seasons the legislative processMonday, Jan. 21, 2008
We’ve reached the level in politics when no issue, no matter how ridiculous, no question, no matter how moot, won’t be addressed by politicians seeking to score brownie points with voters.
Early voters get too much attentionMonday, Jan. 14, 2008
No offense to the residents of the Hawkeye State or the Granite State, but neither has much in common with the rest of the country. Thus, the importance that the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary play in choosing presidential candidates is a bit ridiculous.
Hey buddy, can ya’ spare a Wii?Monday, Dec. 31, 2007
I must admit that I don’t understand all the fuss over the latest gaming system, Nintendo’s Wii console. It was all the rage during this past Christmas, and many people went to extraordinary lengths to obtain one.
A little irony after the icestormMonday, Dec. 24, 2007
Finding humor and irony in any situation can be a blessing. For instance, when you go a week without electricity and heat, it’s nice to have a sense of humor and some perspective about life.
Western athletics are at a crossroadMonday, Dec. 3, 2007
Missouri Western State University takes pride in using unique and cutting edge teaching methods. You need to do more to get students to learn than just lecture and assign outside reading. These days, in order to get your point across, you need to be different, innovative.
Monday, Nov. 19, 2007
You’ve got to love those Australians. They speak with that cool accent. They play Australian Rules Football, a game that’s a combination of soccer and rugby and that makes our version look sissified.
Monday, Nov. 12, 2007
It hasn’t been a great season for the reputation of St. Joseph Police officers this fall. Officers engaged in two high-speed chases.
La Raza study serves a clear purposeMonday, Nov. 5, 2007
So, if you’re planning to rob a bank or pull off a convenience store heist, would you take your kids along? Probably not. Even criminals have a sense of responsibility for their children and don’t usually put them in harm’s way.
Monday, Oct. 29, 2007
Was there ever a time when you thought Lisa Montgomery might not get the death penalty? As soon as the jury rejected the notion that she was criminally insane, she was destined to die at the hands of our federal government. It took them a mere five hours to hand down the death penalty.
Stuck with a computer booby trapMonday, Oct. 22, 2007
"Well, here's your problem: Norton Utilities," Val said. Val is the computer whiz we hired to figure out what was wrong with the Dell computer we purchased a couple of years ago. Like most things, the Dell ran like a champ right out of the box. It was fast, flashy and reliable. We used it to surf the Web, download vacation pictures and play music. It performed like gangbusters.
A great way to spend a Sunday afternoonMonday, June 18, 2007
Denny Villhauer, Dave Lau and I celebrated Father’s Day the right way on Sunday. That is, we rode our motorcycles. This wasn’t a long, multi-state trip like we did in April when we rode to Texas. No, this was a short hop down to Parkville, Mo., to let the wind blow past our faces and find some great lunch.
TEXAS TALES: DAY SEVENMonday, May 14, 2007
Day Seven: Harrison, Ark., to St. Joseph, Mo.
TEXAS TALES: DAY SIXWednesday, May 9, 2007
Day Six: Livingston, Texas, to Harrison, Ark.
TEXAS TALES: DAY FIVEWednesday, May 9, 2007
Day Five: South Padre Island to Livingston, Texas
TEXAS TALES: DAY FOURWednesday, May 9, 2007
Day Four: Laredo to South Padre Island
