Fascist or socialist: Name-calling defined

Here are some facts behind explosive labels

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AGO

MLP: Repeat it again?

Like sunshine to the desk-chained office drudge, like the length of this sentence, useless words are tantamount to frustration for Your Mrs. Language Person. The Snitty Old Biddy beseeches you, Dear Readers: Give words their due meanings and heed these admonitions against repetition.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS AGO

SHOLEH: New Hope for Alzheimer's

For folks with early-stage Alzheimer’s hope is on the horizon. A drug newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration may help slow its progression.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS AGO

No speaker. Does it matter?

It’s been 100 years. And McCarthy is only the second. The last and only other time a Speaker of the House wasn’t elected on the first ballot was in 1923. Like today’s 222 of a total 435 seats, in 1923 Republicans also had a slim majority, so while it’s very …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS AGO

How does the IRA affect you?

The Inflation Reduction Act, a big bill signed into law this month, is broader than its name may imply. With tax credits and other provisions for climate change mitigation, healthcare, firefighting and more, this 730-page bill covers a fairly broad range of items potentially impacting American life both long-term and …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Stressed? Go fish

August is National Fishing Month. As if simply indulging in the experience isn’t enough, many studies have confirmed the benefits of spending time in nature. At least two hours each week seems to be the magic number for better health and well-being, according to a study published in the June …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Happy birthday to the nation’s first “cops”

Say “federal law enforcement” and what springs to mind is the FBI. The U.S. Marshalls or the Secret Service. In the inland northwest, maybe the BLM or Forest Service cops in national parks. While trees do come into play (pulp, anyway) none of these was first at bat. The earliest …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

Americans WILL road-trip in 2022

Nothing, it seems, is going to keep the average American from following through on summer road trip plans according to a slew of surveys.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

APRIL BJNI: SHOLEH: Absenteeism: Protecting the workplace

The old days of employers holding all the cards are over.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Absenteeism: Protecting the workplace

The old days of employers holding all the cards are over.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Idaho above average in federal dependency

With such a high sentiment of anti-federalism of late, in March personal-finance website WalletHub released updated rankings for its 2022’s Most & Least Federally Dependent States.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

National debt FAQs

The national debt hit $30 trillion last month. Here's a primer on the national debt, from the definition to how it affects Americans.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Irish roots reveal surprises

Each year as March 17 approaches, this column features some glimpse of all things Irish – St. Patrick’s story (okay, so he was English, but I digress), Irish-American traditions, Celtic history, three-leafed shamrocks (no, not four), and shepherd’s pie – all necessarily repeated in 20-plus years of writing it.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Heart attacks look different in women

While men are more likely to develop heart disease, women are less likely to survive a heart attack, according to research reported by Harvard Medical School.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

MACH BJNI: SHOLEH: Alphabet soup: Your FMLA COVID FAQ

Some of these answers might surprise you.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Alphabet soup: Your FMLA COVID FAQ

Some of these answers might surprise you.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Anxious? Exercise will help

Major study confirms what many already knew.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

sholeh: Heart attacks look different in women

February is Heart Health Month. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming more than 650,000 lives each year.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Black history is American history

Brotherly love can make us stronger still.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

MLP: Laughter is the best medicine

Here's irrefutable proof that puns are the highest form of humor.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Who can arrest a sheriff? The coroner

Rumor has it that talk of the next Kootenai County coroner’s race is heating up already.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

FEB. BJNI Sholeh: Practical resolutions build better momentum

Focus on results you can measure.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Quarter reflects Maya's impact

New program will feature other amazing American women.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

Practical resolutions build better momentum

Focus on results you can measure.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 2 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO

'Why English is so hard'

English is tough. Take it from someone who learned two languages simultaneously as an oil brat living overseas. One was a breeze; it wasn’t English.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS AGO

Birds aren’t real

A fascinating twist on conspiracy theories in the internet age.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS AGO

Sourcing American New Year traditions

Whether you kick off each new year with champagne or football, odds are it’s tradition.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS AGO

JAN BJNI: SHOLEH: 2021’s small biz FAQs

Annual U.S. Small Business Administration's FAQ about small businesses publication released

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS AGO

2021’s small biz FAQs

Annual U.S. Small Business Administration's FAQ about small businesses publication released

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS AGO

Study: Idahoans less vulnerable to Identity theft

A WalletHub study finds Idahoans are less vulnerable to identity theft, beating 47 states and the District of Columbia.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

The photophone: Does that ring a Bell?

On this day in 1880 (as Pearl Harbor tragically endured its onslaught), Alexander Graham Bell patented the photophone.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Tips for an effective business plan

The quintessential entrepreneurial spirit is creative, motivated to action, and optimistic. Yet entrepreneurs and mundane planning are kind of like doctors and accounting: They tend to gloss over the boring parts, which can quickly limit success.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

DEC BJNI: Sholeh: Tips for an effective business plan

The quintessential entrepreneurial spirit is creative, motivated to action, and optimistic. Yet entrepreneurs and mundane planning are kind of like doctors and accounting: They tend to gloss over the boring parts, which can quickly limit success.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Everyday Latin you didn’t know you knew

Latin, a dead language? Hardly. Here are some Latin words and phrases you didn't know you knew.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

SHOLEH Idaho healthcare workers’ recognition overdue

Idaho healthcare workers’ recognition overdue

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

It’s five – er, 11 – o’clock somewhere

The three-day booze fest that marked last weekend (shout-out to ER staff and first responders, who just hate working the Fourth) is as good an excuse as any to consider our drinking habits.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Critical race theory explained

Here's a brief explanation of a complex issue.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Libraries, censorship dangerous bedfellows

Don't let censors get a foothold.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Death penalty data might surprise you

For some, an “eye for an eye” is justice. To others, it makes the whole world blind.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Why D.C. residents want statehood

It's an uphill climb to become the 51st state.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Medical dominates annual 'Best Jobs' list

If you want a six-figure income with a decent work-life balance, your best bet is health care.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

MARCH BJNI: Sholeh: Medical dominates annual 'Best Jobs' list

If you want a six-figure income with a decent work-life balance, your best bet is health care.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Slang won hard from history

Tuesday’s column described how the pandemic and other big events in recent history leave their marks on language.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Poll: Pandemic parlance repugnant

That we’re all sick of pandemic lingo isn’t exactly news, but sometimes a collective venting relieves a little stress. So here we go.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Understanding this political 'f'-word

Everything you ever wanted to know about the political 'f'-word

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Stick to these resolutions all year

Roughly 97 million Americans had planned New Year’s resolutions for 2021, according

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

FEB BJNI: SHOLEH: Stick to these resolutions all year

Roughly 97 million Americans had planned New Year’s resolutions for 2021, according

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 3 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Could love robots ease loneliness?

A robot for every need...

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO

Difficult conversation? Try 10 tips

Here's how to handle difficult conversations.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

High on a pandemic: Drinking, drug use at home climbs

It’s hardly a newsflash: We’ve been drinking and drugging

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Electoral College in spotlight — again

Time to do away with Electoral College.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Idiomata decoded, exploited

An idiom is a non-literal expression, when a group of

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Study: Idaho ninth most dangerous for workers

Eye-catching headline aside, this isn’t going where you might think

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Dubois: Where time still stands still

Don’t get me wrong, North Idaho is still one of the best places to

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Donkey or elephant? They’re both jokes

A clenched fist. A red-clad handmaiden. A flag striped black and blue. What of thems

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Local loyalty, customer awareness robust

By and large, 2020 hasn’t been a banner year for small business.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

The Texas flying ace

Sometimes it takes a touch to bring history from the abstract to the real.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO

OPAL’S HOMESTEAD HACKS Dishing up some health-helpers

Gotta love the simpler things in life. When you grow up in a family who takes pride in DIY — and I mean from digging a well to one-man home construction and “sun showers” (don’t ask), simple becomes a life philosophy. That’s Opal Harbert in a nutshell.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Opal’s Homestead Hacks: Easy-in-bulk

Today’s hack is a home economics trifecta: It extends food life, reduces waste, and saves time. All you need are used jars and Ziploc bags (remember, you can wash and reuse those too).

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Opal’s homestead hacks: Easy preserves

If you’ve been following Opal Harbert’s brand of “lazy” homestead tips, you see cardboard in a new light, and your garbage can is getting lighter. Birds sing your praises in thanks for their recycled snacks. (That hokey forest scene from Sleeping Beauty comes to mind: Too far, Sholeh. Too far.)

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

OPAL’S HOMESTEAD HACKS Planting — with cardboard, of course

If you’ve been following Opal Harbert’s brand of “lazy” homestead tips, you may already be saving those carrot peels and lettuce ends as garden compost. Now that the sun is out again, I asked Opal for more outdoor ideas.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Opal’s homestead hacks: Feed the birds

This one really is for the birds.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Opal’s homestead hacks: Don’t trash good garbage

Opal Harbert, Queen of Homestead Hacks, has an old-fashioned approach to daily life that’s becoming new again.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Virus myths: Don't spread the infodemic

There’s more than one virus at play right now. Thanks to the pandemic, we’re also fighting an infodemic – the viral spread of misinformation.

SHOSHONE NEWS-PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

Opal’s Homestead Hacks: Pickling — with olive juice, too

In case you missed Wednesday’s introduction of Opal Harbert, Queen of Homestead Hacks, here’s a recap.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO

OPAL’S HOMESTEAD HACKS: Practical tips to outlast the virus

Opal Harbert is feeling vindicated. Living on a rural property near Hauser in Mead, Wash., Harbert’s approach to life has always — and I do mean always — been reminiscent of those off-grid types.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO

Idaho teen dating violence way too high

More than one in five.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Art makes you smart

Research increasingly confirms that for the human brain to function at its best, it needs a balanced approach. Exercise for maximized blood flow to power it, lifelong learning to keep it sharp, and opportunities for all its variant parts to cooperatively flex their “muscles” — the physical, analytical, linguistic, and …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Uncloaking the mystery of copyrights

In case you missed it in last week’s Press, you’re free to keep singing “Happy Birthday” without worrying about royalties. I know; you were on pins and needles wondering.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Banned books boost sales

It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year: Banned Books Week. If that sounds ironic coming from a journalist, it is; you’re no more likely to find a censorship advocate in a newsroom than in a publishing house. The thing is, banning books tends to boost sales; so thought …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO

Volunteer is 90 years young

There's a palpable difference between living and merely existing. Ethel Sertich embraces life, all 90 years of it. Well, 90 years as of Friday, June 21.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

That's 'spa' as in 'ahh'

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Mrs. LP: Misused and abused

Some readers have shared their linguistic frustrations with Mrs. Language Person, asking her to spread the angst in print. Like the injured, winged creatures used as playthings by mischievous cats in our backyard, certain words repeatedlyendure abuse and misuse, shredded to bits like the slow-cooked brisket at Porky's (yum). Dear …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO

Your Mrs. Language laments

Well (I'll get to the debatable use of "well" in a future Mrs. Language), let's (contracted form "let us") review. We've covered "it's" (contraction for "it is") and "its" (possessive), as well as the plural "s" (I like cats) vs. possessive "'s" (the dog's tail hit me). In the next …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Invisible drinkers: Seniors

September is Healthy Aging Month. Aging well means more than steady exercise, better eating habits with less fat and more veggies, and adequate sleep. Healthy aging also requires keeping the mind active with some form of lifelong learning (even if it's just fodder for crossword puzzles), and keeping it healthy …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Walk to benefit Alzheimer's

It's like they say; all poodles may be dogs, but all dogs are not poodles. Put simply, dementia is a loss of brain function during aging, with many forms and degrees. It is not synonymous with Alzheimer's disease.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO

Study: U.S. education just so-so

Without perspective, statistics have little value. This is especially true in education. Minds are complex; learning even more so, as effective methods vary by individual, age, subject, and even culture.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO

Stars and stripes 'a living thing'

More than two centuries ago today, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes. Until that day in 1777 the British Union Jack flew over the land; the new Americans needed a national symbol.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

Words wield perilous power

Words. Despite writers' tenacious love affairs with them, we too must admit that sometimes they are ascribed too much authority. Sometimes the power of words is misplaced.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO

CDC: Everyone should get HIV tests

North Idaho's one-stop shop for the community's HIV concerns is finally growing, and they feel like celebrating.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO

Time for tigers to roar

The U.S. Census reports at least 3.6 million of the 14.9 million Asian-Americans are of Chinese descent. This week, they're celebrating.Unlike the West's Gregorian calendar created to correspond with religious events rather than astronomical time, the Chinese mark time's passage by lunar cycle. Each year begins on a different date …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Victims lost in legal tug-of-war

In this land of minimal-government philosophy there remain a few aspects of society no one disputes are properly left to the nation or state. Chief among these is law enforcement.

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

The dying are our teachers

From infancy through death comes a never-ending stream of opportunities to learn. The fewer missed, the fuller is life. Death - dying - can offer the most valuable lessons, yet it's the most ardently avoided. "The ancients used to say that those who considered their own death found insight and …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO

Made in the USA has its limits

These days as much as ever manufacturers want to put "made in the USA" on products not only out of a sense of pride of country, but because it appeals to purchasers, potentially enhancing the product's value. But as any manufacturer knows, where a product is made is not as …

COEUR D'ALENE PRESS | UPDATED 15 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO