Vivvo CMS 4.1 http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/ ©2007 Spoonlabs d.o.o. http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/files.php?file= http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/ http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3408-winning-in-a-losing-game.html Observations Thu, 06 May 2010 17:01:50 +0000   By MITCH TRAPHAGEN mitch@observernews.net Within a span of months, Americans went from being awash in cash to being misers searching out stray pennies. The villains were cast http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3407-the-perfect-day.html Observations Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:13:47 +0000   By MITCH TRAPHAGEN mitch@observernews.net I am a hopeless optimist.  Every single day I hold out hope for the perfect day; but for reasons I can’t quite explain, http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3406-the-cell-phone-cell.html Observations Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:01:16 +0000 By MITCH TRAPHAGEN mitch@observernews.net Let’s see a show of hands. Who here has a cell phone? Yeah, that’s right, raise your hand if you have a cell http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3405-observations-the-grass-is-greener-on-the-beach.html Observations Wed, 14 Apr 2010 01:04:34 +0000   By MITCH TRAPHAGEN mitch@observernews.net In Iowa there are approximately two people and 15 cows and pigs per square mile and the threat of being shot while behind http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3404-the-next-thing-i-knew.html Observations Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:01:39 +0000   By MITCH TRAPHAGENmitch@observernews.netI got the much-feared “call in the middle of the night.” Except it wasn’t night — it was in the afternoon. My Mom http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3403-observations-man-spends-30-minutes-of-his-life-to-return-shoppin.html Observations Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:15:43 +0000   By MITCH TRAPHAGEN mitch@observernews.net I saw him just after I turned into the Walmart parking lot from Highway 301. He was an old man, moving very slowly. http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3402-observations-just-like-old-times.html Observations Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:05:52 +0000 By Mitch Traphagenmitch@observernews.net The Ruskin I returned to in 2010 is much like the Ruskin I found in 1994. There was no boom back then. Homes http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3401-observations-shifting-gears.html Observations Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:13:49 +0000 By MITCH TRAPHAGENmitch@observernews.net Frank Kruse died last week. No, you don’t know him. For that matter, I didn’t really know him, either, and it has been http://www.observernews.net/thisweek/observations/3400-observations-its-good-to-be-home.html Observations Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:35:11 +0000   By Mitch Traphagenmitch@observernews.net “Once there was a way to get back home…”In April, 2009, I exited off I-75 on the Ruskin exit for the first time Observer News