It’s been two decades since, on March 19, 2003, United States forces invaded Iraq. President George W. Bush ordered the invasion to neutralize what he said was the threat of weapons of mass destruction posed by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Except it turned out Saddam did not have weapons of mass destruction. U.S. forces searched and searched and searched, and never found them. In all, 4,586 American servicemen and women died in the war, and 32,455 were wounded.
DEAR HARRIETTE: A recently retired former employee of mine is trying to build a friendship with me. We were never particularly friendly while they were employed, and I find the dynamic now to be awkward and uncomfortable. I want to be respectful and kind, but at the same time, I don’t want to be forced into a friendship. Can you help me come up with a way to set boundaries diplomatically? — Awkward Friendship DEAR AWKWARD FRIENDSHIP: Be cordial and clear.
Those little stickers you find on the outside of bananas, apples, avocadoes and other produce are both a nuisance and a marvel. They help keep the massive supply chain of perishable foods in check, but they can be a pain. Unfortunately, the stickers are not compostable or biodegradable. They are considered the worst offender in contaminating compost scraps, so keep them out of your pile. And never put them down the drain of the sink; they can clog pipes.
My own basketball coaching career ended many years ago, when my 13-andunder Billy Mitchell Boys Club squad lost to the Guy Thunderbirds in a one-sided blowout. My guys had laughed their foolish heads off all the way from Little Rock to Guy, a small country town in Arkansas’ Faulkner County.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My son is in college, and the trips to visit him or bring him home for breaks and holidays are expensive. Recently, my husband asked me how much his spring break flight cost. When I told him, he hit the ceiling. This is not news. We talked about what college would cost before my son went there.
Dear Doctors: I was surprised to find out that a co-worker gave his nephew a kidney several years ago. He never mentions it and I don’t want to invade his privacy, but I would like to know more about the process. What does it take for someone to donate a kidney? Is it safe for them to do it?
After the 2020 election, Fox News was guilty of professional malpractice and ethical corruption. Faced with a choice – between telling viewers the truth about Donald Trump’s loss, or feeding their fantasies with blatant lies – Fox favored profit over proof, income over integrity.
In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Beer and Wine Revenue Act, which legalized the sale of alcoholic beverages.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I went to an event and saw a lot of people I haven’t seen for a long time. One woman was very friendly, which was nice, but caught me off guard. She is what my mother calls “sometime-y.” Sometimes she knows me, and sometimes she doesn’t. On that day she saw me and thought she would even give me a hug. She is an important person in my social and professional circles, so I appreciated the acknowledgment, but I don’t want to make the mistake of thinking she likes me now — there have been too many occasions when I was invisible to her. I do think it might be wise for me to make some kind of meaningful follow-up while I’m still on her mind. I don’t have a project right now to talk about, though, so I’m not sure what to say if I reach out to her. What do you think?
My husband, Peter, and I are staying in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, which is, according to a lot of folks, a tourist town. Sometimes, the person saying this means it is not a place they would want to spend time. This puzzles me.