“Barbie” prides itself on inspiring a full range of feelings – both in its characters and its audience. The characters tap into dark, sad sides they never knew they had, and they find out life is more rewarding for it. The audience is sure to eat up all the easy jokes and sweetness, sure, but they’re also supposed to appreciate the film for its psychological depth and hard-hitting social commentary. Perhaps it’s appropriate that I have a broad range of feelings toward the film. I think there are portions that work very well, and there are entire storylines and characters that could be cut. There are jokes worth laughs, and jokes worth a cold stare. Some of the film’s insights opened my eyes, others made me roll them. But at least the movie is ambitious enough to attempt so many jokes and insights. more

Another week of blistering, 100-plus heat and no rain to slake the thirst of our Ozarks’ parched earth — it’s miserable weather for most of us, but worse for that tiny but critical percentage who feed us. more

Indeed it’s sad to read about municipal personnel disputes resulting in loss of service and employment of key senior management and the resulting emotional disruption within the community. Moreover, it appears the city may be suffering from employee unrest and morale given the nature of complaints leveled upon the former Director of Public Works, Mr. Jerry Hamby. more

Ever since humans began tending to small patches of cultivated ground near their homes, the terms “rain” and “garden” have gone together. more

Ragweeds are flowering plants in the genus Ambrosia in the aster family, Asteraceae. more

Tom and I had plenty of reasons not to plan a trip this summer – too many crowds, too expensive, too hot, too tiring. But after we saw our 19-year-old college kid make a cross-country road trip with three friends – armed with nothing more than a duffel bag and a smile – we felt inspired. Maybe we should see something new, too. more

Last summer, when “Top Gun: Maverick” was making roughly all the money printed in the United States during that fiscal quarter, I read a number of articles (many publications jumped on the trend at once) calling Tom Cruise various iterations of “The Last Movie Star.” more

Letter to the Editor more

The world will never see another generation like mine. more

Many species of Ironweeds (Vernonia Gigantea) are commonly found throughout Missouri. more

A quick explanation about this week’s movies: with an estimated $40 million at the domestic box office, “Sound of Freedom” had the most... more

Noise pollution was a problem at our house. The culprits? The treat-eating, hair-shedding, tail-wagging family members who press their black noses against the front windows for a good chunk of the day. more

Thistles, those pretty reddish-purple flowered sticker plants found in our abandon fields, pastures, hay meadows, and along roadsides, which are unpalatable to wildlife and livestock, greatly reduce the grazing potential and hay quality on our farms. more

A little rain fell one Saturday night in the dog days of 2012. more

It has been 15 years since famed archeologist/adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) was onscreen in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and even longer since he was... more

My 78-year-old mom has COVID. What she does not have is the patience for having COVID. more

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), also known as Queen Anne’s Lace, is a biennial plant in the parsley family. It is often found growing in pastures, hayfields, along roadsides, and in abandoned areas this time of year. Wild carrot prefers well-drained to dry soils but can grow in most of our soil types here in Missouri. It is usually found in full sun to partially shaded areas. more

Of the few truly important things in life, kids and livestock have to rank near the top. more

Phyllis Benedict and I have a lot of things in common. For starters, we both learned how to type on manual typewriters several years ago, and we both get a real kick out of collecting and repurposing things. And since one of my sons married one of her daughters, we happen to share a couple of terrific grandchildren in common. more

I grew up in a house with cold running water in the kitchen sometimes and an outdoor toilet always. Anywhere I’ve lived since has been a mansion in comparison. more

Missouri Prime Beef applies for a permit to release wastewater into the Pomme de Terre River. more

I heard a sermon by Josh Thompson at Hope Church a few years ago that made an impact. He said (I’m paraphrasing): “Many of you have built a fortress using bricks of subtle hopelessness.” more

It’s been a whole two weeks since “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” opened, so it’s about time we had another superhero multiverse movie. This one takes place in the DC Extended Universe, which means... more

During the 2019 legislative session, the Missouri General Assembly reauthorized the 50-cent scrap tire fee applied to the retail sale of every new tire. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is authorized to distribute up to 45% of the revenues generated from the fees for grants focused on scrap tire market development. more

Our truck and car both have cruise control. more