Columnists
Thursday, June 11, 2026 · Ottumwa
The Affirmation That Actually Works (And Why You've Been Saying Them Wrong)
Most affirmations fail because they ask you to believe something you don't. Here's the one shift that changes everything.
Why Rereading the Same Poem Changes Everything (And How to Do It Right)
That poem you read in high school? You didn't actually read it. Here's why your second read—or your fifth—is the one that matters.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
The Art of the Productive Digression: Why Distraction Might Be Your Best Thinking Tool
Everyone tells you to focus. But some of history's greatest minds discovered that the best ideas arrive when you're supposed to be doing something else entirely.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
The Fed Just Admitted It's Been Flying Blind, and Your Mortgage Pays the Price
Janet Yellen's successor confessed the Fed massively misjudged inflation. Here's what that means for your wallet before the end of the year.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
The Met's Maximalist Takeover Proves Clutter Is a Love Language
Museums are finally admitting what hoarders have known all along: sometimes more is exactly right, and empty walls are a betrayal of human joy.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Mercury's Mischief Monday: When Your Texts Go Sideways and Venus Demands Honesty
The week begins with communication chaos and a cosmic intervention that'll make you reconsider that half-drafted email. One sign needs to sit down right now.
Thursday, June 11, 2026