Columnists
Friday, April 10, 2026 · Youngstown
The Slow Walk That Changes Everything
Winter invites you to move differently. A deliberate pace outdoors isn't laziness—it's the reset your nervous system has been asking for.
The Week's Weirdest: Underground Chickens, Airborne Dentures, and One Determined Raccoon
A homeowners association discovers an illegal basement poultry operation, a man loses his teeth mid-skydive, and wildlife officials respond to their strangest call in years.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Where US-83 Crosses the Niobrara: A Sandhills Weekend Nobody Talks About
Valentine, Nebraska sits at the edge of the Sandhills where the Niobrara River cuts through grass-covered dunes. You can canoe past waterfalls, eat pie at a counter that's fed ranchers since 1947, and camp under stars that light up the whole sky.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Your Ankles Are Weak and It's Slowing You Down
Most runners blame their knees or hips when they feel sluggish, but the real problem often starts at the ankle. Here's how to fix it in under five minutes.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Potato Salad You Make When You Want People to Like You
Forget mayonnaise. The best potato salad I know uses brown butter and vinegar to turn a picnic side dish into something people will text you about later.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Your Weekend Wants You to Leave the House
Three concerts, two food festivals, and one art opening you can walk into without a reservation. Plus the sleeper pick that will beat all of them.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Mortise and Tenon: Why This 4,000-Year-Old Joint Still Beats Screws
You can learn the mortise and tenon joint in a weekend, and it will outlast every piece of furniture you own. Here's how to cut your first one with tools you can afford.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Starlette Signs: Mercury Whispers While Mars Charges Forward
Mercury slips into retrograde shadow today while Mars fuels our ambitions. One sign faces a career crossroads that demands an answer by sunset.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Skip "Griselda," Watch "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" Instead
Netflix wants you to believe Sofia Vergara's cartel drama is prestige TV. It's not. Meanwhile, Donald Glover made the year's smartest thriller, and nobody's talking about it.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The "De-Influencing" Trend Hit Peak Irony This Week
TikTokers are building audiences by telling you what not to buy. The twist? Brands now sponsor the anti-recommendations.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Week's Strangest Victories
A chicken won a beauty pageant, a man broke a record nobody asked for, and scientists discovered something that makes you wonder why they bothered looking.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Quiet Revolution of Artists' Books at Your Library
Between the novels and the coffee table art books, libraries hold a secret: artists' books that blur the line between reading and seeing. These handmade objects ask you to touch, unfold, and reconsider what a book can be.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Department You've Never Heard Of Just Got a $2 Billion Budget Cut
While Congress fought over the debt ceiling, the Bureau of Land Management lost funding for 847 field staff positions. The consequences reach far beyond public lands.
Friday, April 10, 2026
A 12-Year-Old's Lemonade Stand Just Paid Off $4,000 in School Lunch Debt
Tristan Jacobson spent his summer selling lemonade and cookies to erase cafeteria debt for 123 students. He's already planning next year's menu.
Friday, April 10, 2026
On Starting Small: Margaret Atwood and the Single Seed
The author of The Handmaid's Tale once compared writing novels to gardening. Her insight applies to anyone planting tomatoes, learning Spanish, or facing a blank canvas this spring.
Friday, April 10, 2026
A Poem for Late Winter: When You Need Light Most
February tests patience. The days stretch longer, but the cold bites harder. This week, let Emily Dickinson remind you that hope arrives without invitation.
Friday, April 10, 2026
You Don't Have to Earn Your Morning Coffee
Before you check your phone or review your to-do list, try this: drink your coffee without doing anything else. No planning, no scrolling, no mental negotiations about what you deserve.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Why US-93 Through Nevada Beats Every Desert Drive You've Tried
The 500-mile stretch from Wickenburg, Arizona, to Wells, Nevada, passes through five ghost towns, two hot springs you can soak in for free, and the loneliest highway cafe that still serves pie worth ordering.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Your Ankles Are Weak and It's Slowing You Down
Most people can stand on one foot for 30 seconds without wobbling. If you can't, weak ankles might explain why you feel unstable on stairs, why your knees ache after long walks, and why you rolled your ankle that one time stepping off a curb.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Warm Tomato Salad That Changed My Mind About August
I spent years treating tomatoes like raw material for sauces and salsas. Then I learned to warm them in olive oil for ten minutes, and suddenly August tomatoes became worth the wait.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Five-Board Bench: Your First Real Woodworking Project
You can build a solid bench this weekend with five boards, basic tools, and no fancy joinery. Here's how to pick your lumber, cut your pieces, and assemble something that will last decades.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Sleeper Hits You Missed This Week
While everyone binged the buzzy limited series, three quieter releases snuck onto streaming platforms and deserve your attention. Here's what to queue up this weekend.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Starlette Signs: Mercury Stirring Questions You've Avoided
Venus squares Saturn today while Mercury wakes up restless energy in your communication zone. One sign gets cosmic permission to burn it all down and start fresh.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Skip "The Residence," Watch "The Diplomat" Season 2 Instead
Netflix is pushing its new murder mystery hard, but the real White House thriller you should queue up came out three months ago and nobody noticed.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Quiet Life Era: Why Everyone's Suddenly Cosplaying Boring
From "deinfluencing" videos to tradwife aesthetics, Gen Z decided chaos exhaustion is the new vibe. Millennials invented oversharing. Gen Z wants to pretend they never logged on.
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Slow Burn of "Slow Horses" and Why We Keep Coming Back
Apple TV+'s spy drama doesn't explode onto screens. It seeps in, one bitter joke and botched operation at a time. Four seasons later, it might be the best show nobody talks about enough.
Friday, April 10, 2026
When Your Dream Job Turns Into a Nightmare
You got the promotion you worked years for, but three months in, you hate it. A reader asks whether to stick it out or admit defeat.
Friday, April 10, 2026
When Your Partner Earns More Than You Do
A reader asks how to handle the tension when his girlfriend makes twice his salary. The answer matters more than you think.
Friday, April 10, 2026
My Husband Wants to Quit His Job to Stream Video Games Full-Time
A reader's spouse wants to chase his gaming dream—at 42, with two kids and a mortgage. Darla tells her what she needs to hear.
Friday, April 10, 2026
When Your Parents Can't Afford Retirement—And They're Counting on You
A 34-year-old discovers her parents have no retirement savings and expect her to foot the bill. She wants to help but has her own family to support. What happens when love and financial reality collide?
Friday, April 10, 2026