Along Our Way
The third annual Fall Festival on the Raccoon River Valley Trail drew several hundred people in ideal weather on Saturday, October 4. There was a huge breakfast, bicycle riders, tram riders, walkers, lunch at a river bridge and another ''Trick-or-Treat Trail Trek'' for costumed dogs!
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Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Breitbach's Country Dining
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
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How the donut man from Bunkers Dunkers in Jefferson helped land RAGBRAI XXXVI for an overnight stop here!
The route for the 2008 RAGBRAI -- that's the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa -- included our Greene County seat of Jefferson as an overnight stop on Monday, July 21. More than 20,000 people came to Jefferson, pop. 4,600, that night. Read the amazing story here about a chance encounter three years ago in Florida, where our vacationing local donut king Randy Bunkers warmly greeted a stranger who was wearing a RAGBRAI T-shirt. The fellow happened to be RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz -- and in the summer of 2008, hurrah! RAGBRAI came our way!
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Our hometown of
Cooper may look
pretty sleepy but
there's a whole lot
happening here!
There’s the annual Cooper Prom (for all ages), concerts, basketball, suppers, ice cream socials and people coming through all the time on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Here is the story on the little community in Greene County, Iowa, that is now home for the Offenburgers.
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Along Our Way
What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?
Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.
Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm
It's been quite a year for gardening at the farm, and here are some photos of the late bounty Follow the link below for additional details.
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Earlier photos in this series
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The Continuous Iowa Caucus
It is a great time in rural Iowa, watching the harvest transform the countryside and our communities. Which part of the harvest do you most wish you could experience yourself? - October 2, 2008
| Drive the tractor pulling the grain wagon |  | | Drive the grain truck to unload at the elevator | | | Drive the combine doing the cutting/picking | | | Fix and deliver harvest meals | | | Do in-the-field machinery repairs | | | Total Votes: 26 |
And let's hope everybody practices ''Safety First'' in bringing in the big crop!
Which of these Iowans who have made big sports news recently would you most like to sit down with for a cup of coffee and a long conversation? - September 25, 2008
| Alfredo Parrish, noted Des Moines defense attorney for troubled basketball player Pierre Pierce | | | Gymnast Shawn Johnson, Olympics gold medal winner & Valley High student, West Des Moines | | | Casey Blake, Indianola native starring with division leading LA Dodgers | | | Lolo Jones, Des Moines native and hurdler who came so close to Olympics gold before stumbling | | | Sally Mason, embattled president at the U of Iowa, trying to overcome the sexual assault of a student by football players | | | Total Votes: 44 |
This list reminds us that we sure have had a lot of intense sports situations lately!
Odd question, we know, but we're wondering: Among working age (18-70) adults in Iowa, which of the following would be HARDEST to find? Someone who's... - September 16, 2008
| ...never been to a high school girls' basketball game | | | ...never seen a live pig | | | ...never been on a computer | | | ...never been to church | | | ...never been to Des Moines | | | Total Votes: 53 |
Your answers will help us determine what is really peculiar in Iowa. Is there someone you know who seems clearly to be the most peculiar person in Iowa, and would talk about it? If so, tell me, chuck@Offenburger.com.
So, what are you thinking about the Republicans now? - September 4, 2008
| Sarah Palin gives the Grand OLD Party quite a makeover! | | | We're wishing we'd paid more attention when Fred Thompson was in the race. | | | Has there ever been a bigger ''shotgun wedding'' than what Levi Johnston has gotten himself into? | | | Surely some Republicans are wearying of being the party of war. | | | Big oil? Standing O! Bio-fuels? ''Zero!'' | | | Total Votes: 58 |
We're trying out a new slogan: ''As Alaska goes, so goes the nation!'' What do you think?
Last week's news that Iowa State and Kansas State will play their 2009 & 2010 football games in Kansas City is puzzling us. Which of these is the biggest lingering question about this deal? - August 25, 2008
| What do the merchants of Ames and Manhattan think about this? | | | Were the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the Governor's office consulted about it? | | | Can you think of a time when Kansas City sent a $1 million deal to the Ames-Des Moines area? | | | Are Kansas City businesses and organizations good contributors to other Iowa State U. projects? | | | Do the Cyclones have a better chance of winning in Kansas City than in Ames? | | | Total Votes: 34 |
And what next? Iowa State vs. Nebraska in Omaha?
When Rev. Rick Warren led the fascinating Q&A with presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain Saturday night, they all had on full business suits, but with open-necked white shirts & no neckties. This is the worst men's fashion trend since: - August 18, 2008
| Bell-bottomed trousers in the late '60s | | | Nehru jackets in the early '70s | | | Leisure suits in the '80s | | | Baggy basketball shorts in the '90s | | | Crown-less ball caps in this decade | | | Total Votes: 23 |
And we also don't think much of this new look of collarless shirts (we're not referring to turtlenecks but rather those T-shirt looking things) under sportscoats, either.
What should we make of the astounding fact that 11,000 people turned out at the Iowa State Fair before 8 a.m. on Thursday, August 7, to try to set a world record for most people eating corndogs at one time? - August 8, 2008
| ''Free'' + ''food'' = crowd. | | | Forget Jello, corndogs are Iowans' favorite food. | | | Why mess around making ethanol when we could take corndogs to the world market? | | | WHO radio's Van Harden & Bonnie Lucas, promoters of this event, are truly the most powerful media figures in Iowa. | | | This is conclusive proof that Iowans have too much time on their hands. | | | Total Votes: 47 |
Does anybody ever eat a corndog anywhere except at the Iowa State Fair?
We were charmed to hear that the song ''Take Me Out to the Ball Game'' is 100 years old now. Second to that, of course, which of the following would be the high point of artistic treatment of baseball? - July 9, 2008
| ''Ball Four,'' the 1970 book by Jim Bouton | | | ''The Summer Game,'' the 1972 book about baseball in the '60s by Roger Angell | | | ''Bull Durham,'' the 1988 movie | | | ''Field of Dreams,'' the 1989 movie | | | ''The Natural,'' a 1984 movie | | | Total Votes: 71 |
Other contenders, in our mind: ''Damn Yankees,'' the Broadway show of 1955; Roger Kahn's 1972 book ''The Boys of Summer,'' and David Lamb's 1991 book ''Stolen Season.'' You?
On this All-American weekend, who is the most respected current, active American? - July 4, 2008
| General David Petraeus | | | Oprah Winfrey | | | Bill Gates | | | Peyton Manning | | | Bruce Springsteen | | | Total Votes: 31 |
Someone else? Who? Why?
What's the most ''big time'' sporting event now held regularly in Iowa? - June 25, 2008
| Drake Relays | | | Hawkeye football | | | RAGBRAI | | | Cyclone football | | | Racing at Iowa Speedway | | | Total Votes: 51 |
When you think about it, we've got a terrific variety of sporting events in a year's time.
After all the devastation from the tornadoes and flooding the last three weeks in Iowa, what will be the surest sign that life is finally getting back to normal? - June 16, 2008
| When people across the state sit back, relax and celebrate the 4th of July. | | | When RAGBRAI makes its merry way across Iowa July 20-26. | | | When we're all eating corndogs again at the Iowa State Fair in August. | | | When the Aplington-Parkersburg Falcons play a home football game in the late summer or early fall. | | | When we hear Iowa farmers starting to say, ''You know, we really could use a little rain around here.'' | | | Total Votes: 39 |
There is still a whole lot of grieving to be done in places like Parkersburg and Little Sioux. But even there, good life will indeed return.
What do you think Iowa is most widely known for, among people who live outside the state? - June 9, 2008
| Corn | | | Iowa Political Caucuses | | | RAGBRAI | | | Floods | | | Tornadoes | | | Total Votes: 37 |
And then there are our pigs, too. Last time we heard, Iowa was the nation's leading hog state, with more than 18 million squealers -- six for every person here. Even so, we think most people still view us as ''The Corn State.''
The Chicago Cubs had the best record in baseball on June 1 -- the first time they've had that distinction on a June 1 since 1908. That was also the year they last won the World Series. What do you think? - June 6, 2008
| This could be the year! Go, Cubs, go! | | | This IS the year the Cubs will win it all! | | | Anybody ever seen a pig fly? | | | Let's see, aren't you the same pollster who foresaw a Huckabee presidency? | | | You been sniffing all that ethanol out there? | | | Total Votes: 14 |
After a century, isn't it the Cubs' turn?
What do we think about people who graduate early from college? - May 19, 2008
| Why loaf around? Get 'er done! | | | High costs are forcing early grads. | | | Campus life can be as important as academics. | | | Early grads aren't as well-rounded. | | | They're making a huge mistake. | | | Total Votes: 53 |
Our feeling is that students should stick in college as long as possible. And no way should they be given a diploma unless they can sing the fight song and alma mater.
With which of these recent Iowa newsmakers would you most like to have a cup of coffee and long conversation? - April 14, 2008
| Drake's Keno Davis, AP national college basketball coach of the year | | | Archie Brooks, ex-Des Moines city councilman, embroiled in CIETC trial | | | Peggy Whitson, due back on Earth this week after commanding the International Space Station | | | Gov. Chet Culver, after he visited Iowa troops in Kosovo last week | | | Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey, just back from a learning trip to China | | | Total Votes: 106 |
Our thought is that the state of Iowa needs to plan a major celebration in Astronaut Whitson's honor as soon as we can get her back from NASA headquarters.
What will be most likely to happen if the volcano erupts at the Cooper Prom on April 12? - April 7, 2008
| Someone will blame it on ethanol. | | | Homeland security agents will make their first known visit to Cooper. | | | Cooper residents will once again be invited to be on ''The Tonight Show.'' | | | Al Gore will hold a press conference in Cooper about ''global warming.'' | | | The town will be selling ''Super Cooper Lava'' by the first of next week. | | | Total Votes: 31 |
Actually, we are not overly worried about all this in Cooper, because we have become accustomed to eruptions here through the years.
Major League Baseball is resuming, and the Chicago Cubs are favored in the NL Central. True, the Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908. But how do you feel about their chances this season? - March 31, 2008
| This is the year! | | | Look, anybody can have a bad century. | | | Is Steve Bartman still around? | | | ''Let's get some runs!'' | | | Where's the billy goat? | | | Total Votes: 24 |
Baseball season's underway,
It's gonna be a brand new day!
Go, Cubs, go!
Go, Cubs, go!
Hey, Chicago, what do you say,
The Cubs are gonna win today!
Of the five following high-profile college basketball coaches, all of whom formerly had head coaching positions in Iowa, whom do you think we miss the most? - March 24, 2008
| Tim Floyd, former Iowa State men's coach, now Southern Cal | | | Lute Olson, former Iowa men's coach, now U of Arizona | | | C. Vivian Stringer, former Iowa women's coach, now Rutgers | | | Steve Alford, former Iowa men's coach, now U of New Mexico | | | Larry Eustachy, former Iowa State men's coach, now Southern Mississippi | | | Total Votes: 72 |
We're guessing that, for most of you, this is a close call between Tim Floyd and Vivian Stringer. Interestingly, they were probably the two of those five coaches who seemed most at-home in Iowa, too.
The high school state basketball tournaments for some reason always make us start thinking about some of the colorful high school team nicknames no longer in existence, because of school consolidations. Which of these classics do you miss most? - March 3, 2008
| Fox Valley Trotters | | | Churdan Gremlins | | | Mallard Ducks | | | Roland Rockets | | | Everly Cattlefeeders | | | Total Votes: 105 |
Oh, and there are so many others: Clutier's Charging Czechs, the Bancroft St. John Johnnies, the Sheffield Claydiggers and the Protivin Rudolphinum Rudohawks. Gone, but certainly not forgotten!
This is the week of the Iowa high school girls' state basketball tournament. What is most memorable about the girls' tourneys thru the years? - February 25, 2008
| The elaborate pageantry between games and at halftime | | | The 1968 title game, Union-Whitten over Everly 113-107 in OT. | | | Ventura's Lynne Lorenzen setting high school basketball's career scoring record in 1987. | | | The 1959 blizzard that kept everybody at Vets' Auditorium overnight. and a sockhop broke out. | | | The switcheroo from 6-girl basketball to 5-girl. | | | Total Votes: 31 |
Let's all do South Hamilton's famous cheer from the 1960s to get fired up for this week:
Pork chop! Pork chop!
Chicken wing!
We're gettin' ready
To do our thing!
Cuban President Fidel Castro, in poor health, has announced he is stepping down from the presidency and as commander in chief of the military there. Post-Castro, what should U.S. policy be toward Cuba? - February 19, 2008
| Drop the restrictions, and let's go visit! | | | Renew full trade immediately. | | | Tell President Bush we the people will handle it, so don't be picking any fights there, thank you. | | | Have Major League Baseball put a franchise in Havana. | | | Start people-to-people cultural exchanges right away. | | | Total Votes: 31 |
Our bet has long been that the Castro government would crumble if there could just be normal interaction between the Cuban people and Americans. Heck, we think Cuba could eventually become a 51st state, if the Cuban people desire that.
It's high school state wrestling tourney time! With which of these wrestling figures in Iowa would you most like to have a cup of coffee and a long conversation? - February 11, 2008
| Tom Brands, Sheldon native, U of I national champ, Olympics gold medalist, U of I coach | | | Dan Gable, Waterloo West, ISU national champ, Olympics gold medalist, U of I coach | | | Cael Sanderson, undefeated ISU national champ, Olympics gold medalist, ISU coach | | | Nick Ackerman, 6th place for Colfax-Mingo in 1997, whose legs were amputated below his knees when he was a toddler | | | Dan McCool, Des Moines Register's wrestling reporter | | | Total Votes: 33 |
Do you realize that the Iowa high school state wrestling tourney is one of the biggest high school sports championship events in the nation?
The best sports story in Iowa right now is the Drake men's basketball team, which Saturday won its 21st consecutive game. With which Drake insider would you most like to have a cup of coffee and a long conversation? - February 4, 2008
| Radio commentator & former Drake great Dolph Pulliam | | | Drake U President David Maxwell | | | Head coach Keno Davis | | | Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb | | | Drake Athletics historian Paul Morrison | | | Total Votes: 35 |
Last year was the first winning record in 20 years. Now this year, the Bulldogs are in the Top 25 for the first time in more than 30 years! And they just keep finding ways to win! How fun!
RAGBRAI is coming to Greene County! What percentage of Iowans do you think have ridden on RAGBRAI, driven a support vehicle for it, served it food or drink, worked as a volunteer with it, or have at least sat out along the route and watched it go by? - January 28, 2008
| 30 percent | | | 60 percent | | | 80 percent | | | 90 percent | | | More than 95 percent | | | Total Votes: 40 |
In our time as RAGBRAI co-hosts, we once wrote this mission statement for the event: ''The Des Moines Register will keep putting on RAGBRAI until every Iowan has ridden on it at least once!'' Think it's over halfway there yet?
In which of these extracurricular activities do you think our Iowa high school kids reach their highest level of performance? - January 21, 2008
| Marching band | | | Speech/debate | | | Sports | | | Show choir | | | Theatrical productions | | | Total Votes: 35 |
We think it's show choir. The spirited singing & dancing required in show choir participation seems a really good match for the level of vocal talent, physical fitness, energy and enthusiasm our teenagers have.
As the Iowa Legislature convenes, what do YOU think the condition of Iowa is? - January 14, 2008
| Robust | | | Good shape | | | Wobbly | | | Major problems | | | Cold | | | Total Votes: 60 |
Guess what? Governor Chet Culver says Iowa is ''strong.'' That was his assessment in his ''Condition of the State'' address on Tuesday, January 15.
With 2007 having ended and the New Year beginning, whom would you pick -- among our five suggestions below -- as ''Iowan of the Year'' for 2007? - December 31, 2007
| Governor Chet Culver, as he completes a pretty-good first year in office | | | Peggy Whitson, astronaut and Beaconsfield native who is now commanding the International Space Station, first woman to do so | | | The Iowa Farmer -- they generally have just had one of their best years ever as we evolve into the bio-economy | | | David Yepsen, chief political columnist for the Des Moines Register and thus the go-to person about the Iowa Political Caucuses | | | Shawn Johnson, 15-year-old pixie gymnast from West Des Moines who won the world championship and now eyes the Olympics | | | Total Votes: 77 |
And if we missed someone you think is the obvious choice, let us know by writing chuck@Offenburger.com
Breitbach's Country Dining, in little Balltown in NE Iowa, the state's oldest restaurant & bar and one of our Partners & Patrons, burned to the ground on Christmas Eve day. Owners Mike & Cindy Breitbach say they'll rebuild. What's most memorable about it? - December 26, 2007
| The buffet line with all that homemade food. | | | Red raspberry pie. | | | The whole Balltown experience, including the fantastic view of the Mississippi River valley. | | | Mike Breitbach's almost non-stop storytelling. | | | The boast that it is ''the only restaurant where both actress Brooke Shields and the outlaw Frank James have eaten -- not on the same day.'' | | | Total Votes: 24 |
Thank goodness there were no injuries. And it is great news that the Breitbachs, who are in their sixth generation of ownership that began in 1863, plan to rebuild!
It is cold, snow cover is excellent and the hunters are out in force across Iowa. What do you think must be the most fun to shoot? - December 17, 2007
| Deer | | | Pheasants | | | Ducks/geese | | | Rabbits | | | ''The Bull'' | | | Total Votes: 54 |
If you think there are not as many pheasants this year, you are not working them hard enough. We drove to Sioux City and back on Saturday, 288 miles, and saw more than 200 pheasants on the road shoulders, picking up grit and spilled corn!
Well, it was slow starting, but which thought below best expresses your feeling about the way this winter is taking off now? - December 11, 2007
| Didn't we just set a record for having no snow in Iowa in October? | | | Let's hear it for snow days off-work and out of school! | | | With all the hot air in Iowa right now, how is all this snow & ice happening? | | | Thank goodness for snow plows & their drivers! | | | Remind me in late February that I thought this was pretty in December. | | | Total Votes: 35 |
Hey, is the WCI statistic MIA? I don't think I've heard a station report the Wind Chill Index yet in this early winter. Am I just listening to the wrong weather reports?
In this month before the Iowa Political Caucuses, where do you expect to get the best information to help you pick which candidate to support? - December 3, 2007
| Newspaper/magazine stories, columns & editorials | | | TV news/talk shows | | | Radio news/tallk shows | | | Internet news & info sites | | | Candidates' media ads, phone calls & mailings | | | Total Votes: 31 |
Interesting thought: The run-up to the Iowa Political Caucuses may be the clearest demonstration yet of how widely media have proliferated in our society.
Which celebrity, appearing with a presidential candidate, impresses you the LEAST? - November 26, 2007
| Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne with John Edwards | | | Paul Simon with Christopher Dodd | | | Oprah Winfrey with Barack Obama | | | Chuck Norris with Mike Huckabee | | | Bill Clinton with Hillary Clinton | | | Total Votes: 151 |
We're just not sure about some of these endorsements, you know? I mean, how deeply has Mike Huckabee really looked into the background of another of his celebrity endorsers, rassler Ric Flair, a.k.a. ''The Nature Boy''?
At Thanksgiving 2007, we know you are most thankful for family, friends & health. But which of these ''second tier'' things are you most thankful for? - November 20, 2007
| Presidential candidates spending so much time & money in Iowa. | | | Corn near $4/bushel, soybeans near $10. | | | UNI Panthers unbeaten football team | | | The long, mild autumn we've had | | | The McCaughey septuplets just turning 10, and how the stories about their birthdays are a dose of good news each November. | | | Total Votes: 37 |
Except for the ongoing war and its devastating effects on so many people, it does seem a Thanksgiving with a lot to be thankful for.
Which of these Iowans, all major newsmakers in recent days, would you most like to meet for a cup of coffee and a long conversation? - November 5, 2007
| U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, now guiding the new Farm Bill in Congress | | | Astronaut Peggy Whitson, Beaconsfield native now commanding the Space Station | | | David Yepsen, Des Moines Register political columnist, as he covers this presidential campaign | | | Deb Remmerde, one of Iowa's all-time best female basketball players, starting her senior season at Northwestern College in Orange City | | | Eric Sanders, senior quarterback of the undefeated and top-ranked UNI Panthers | | | Total Votes: 87 |
My goodness, don't we produce interesting people here in Iowa?
Have you noticed our American government hasn't exactly been operating in top form recently? Which office holder's or government entity's job performance has been the worst, here lately? - October 30, 2007
| The President | | | The Vice-President | | | Congress | | | FEMA | | | U.S. ICE | | | Total Votes: 82 |
Meanwhile, while we are trying to get all this sorted out, can we please not pick a fight with one more country?
Let's be good neighbors. We have a lot of experience in Iowa with lousy college football by our Division I teams. This is all new to Nebraskans. What is our best advice to them? - October 24, 2007
| It's time finally to begin appreciating what a really good marching band you have. | | | It could be worse: You haven't gone through 20 consecutive years of losses to Purdue. | | | Take heart: Your coach Bill Callahan is no Jim Criner. | | | Face it, you're dealing with a corn curse, since you abandoned the nickname ''Cornhuskers'' for ''Huskers.'' | | | Get another sport: Ever noticed how nuts we Iowans are about wrestling? | | | Total Votes: 41 |
The Omaha World-Herald headlined Tom Osborne's first football weekend as interim athletic director as ''the second coming of Tom.'' But we can remember times when Big Red fans wanted to crucify him, too!
October is ''Pork Month'' in Iowa, and the industry has become almost as controversial as it is important. How do you feel about it? - October 16, 2007
| The industry's importance is growing, not only for meat production and economic impact, but for manure's use as more affordable & environmentally-friendly fertilizer. | | | Pork production is a good entry point for many young people wanting to get into farming, and thus crucial to rebuilding rural Iowa. | | | Having five pigs for every human in Iowa is more than enough, thank you. | | | As size of pork operations grows, producers must be ever more considerate of their neighbors. | | | I'm increasingly concerned whether humane practices are being used. | | | Total Votes: 35 |
Word we get is that in this ''Pork Month'' of 2007, with pork profitably and commercial fertilizer prices both looking to rise in the future, there is almost unprecedented expansion underway in the industry.
As we get deeper into autumn, what do you most look forward to losing when we get our first hard frost? - October 8, 2007
| Flies | | | Asian beetles | | | Box elder bugs | | | Mosquitoes | | | Lawn mowing | | | Total Votes: 45 |
It is hard to beat October in Iowa, isn't it?
On September 27, 2007, Sam The Barber Kauffman observed his 50th anniversary of barbering in the same location in Audubon in SW Iowa. What kind of haircut do you guess Sam has done the most of through the years? - September 27, 2007
| Ducktail | | | Parted & combed | | | Flattop | | | Butch | | | Light trim of a moptop | | | Total Votes: 53 |
Sam The Barber says the ''parted & combed'' would be the haircut he's done the most of the past 50 years, ''but flattops would be a close second.''
Which of the following is most famous about Yale University, where the Offenburgers are visiting this week? - September 18, 2007
| Being alma mater of recent U.S. presidents Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. | | | Whiffenpoofs singing society. | | | The on-campus private dining club Mory's. | | | The annual football rivalry with Harvard, heralded as ''The Game.'' | | | First line of the Yale fight song, ''Bull-dog, Bull-dog, bow, wow, wow!'' | | | Total Votes: 33 |
We've also always liked the closing line of the university's traditional song, ''Bright College Years,'' which ends with this, ''For God, for Country, and for Yale!''
Six years after the 9-11 attacks, which of the following is most unexpected? - September 11, 2007
| That the war continues, now longer than WWII. | | | That global support of the U.S. has fallen so far. | | | That Osama Bin Laden hasn't been caught or killed. | | | That anyone would want to live in a nation controlled by clerics of any religion. | | | That the U.S. military has so far made it through this with volunteers. | | | Total Votes: 30 |
What can we do, except to pray for peace while we ask, what can we do?
Can we just forget the news of the last week or so? Which of the following big stories do you most wish hadn't happened? - September 4, 2007
| Full disclosure of U.S. Senator Larry Craig's restroom escapade. | | | Polk County District Court Judge Robert Hanson's ruling legalizing same-sex marriages in Iowa. | | | Polk County District Judge Robert Hanson's ''stay'' order, halting same-sex marriages in Iowa, at least temporarily. | | | Iowa State losing to Kent State in football. | | | Some Carroll High football players using their hands to flash a sex symbol in their team photo. | | | Total Votes: 43 |
And the story that Mother Teresa, of all people, had spiritual doubts was just a little unsettling, too, wasn't it?
College football starts here this week. Which of these highly-rated Iowa teams will have the best record at season's end? - August 27, 2007
| Central College Dutch | | | UNI Panthers | | | Morningside Mustangs | | | Iowa Central CC Tritons | | | St. Ambrose Fighting Bees | | | Total Votes: 32 |
Pssst, hot tip: Watch our Buena Vista University Beavers, too. Veteran QB, and several players from Harlan -- 'nuff said.
School is resuming all around us. If you could go back to high school or college, what course would you focus on this time? - August 20, 2007
| The physical sciences | | | Another language | | | Computer technology | | | Art , music, history or lit | | | Business & economics | | | Total Votes: 36 |
Maybe it's just my advancing age, but I'm realizing there's a whole lot more out there that I'd really like to learn.
In this current couple weeks of very heavy presidential campaigning in Iowa, where do you find you are getting most of your political news and information? - August 14, 2007
| Radio | | | Television | | | Newspapers | | | Internet news sites | | | The campaigns' websites and mailings | | | Total Votes: 29 |
Wow, what a rush of politics! The Republicans' Straw Poll was this past weekend, and the Democrats' next big TV debate is this coming Sunday morning at 8 a.m. (you read that correctly) in Des Moines. How are you keeping track of it all?
It's Iowa State Fair time. Where will you spend the most time? - August 7, 2007
| Food stands | | | Animal barns, craft displays or food exhibits | | | Entertainment venues, including Midway | | | Commercial/industrial exhibits | | | Beer tents | | | Total Votes: 30 |
We'll see you at the Original Grinder sandwich stand, the kiosk selling Pineapple Whips or Bauder Pharmacy's ice cream trailer with its homemade peach. Yeah!
The Chicago Cubs are nearing 1st place in the National League Central Division, and Sports Illustrated says of the Cubs, ''It's gonna happen!'' Which best captures your feeling about that? - July 30, 2007
| Even the blind sow finds the acorn now and then. | | | The roster is strong, attitude is right and it's our turn! | | | Is the billy goat really dead? | | | Haven't you ever heard of the ''Sports Illustrated Curse''? | | | Are you Cubs fans ready to sing ''Heartbreak Hotel'' in addition to ''Take Me Out to the Ball Game''? | | | Total Votes: 26 |
Go, Cubs, go!
Go, Cubs, go!
Hey Chicago, whaddya say?
The Cubs are gonna win today!
Go, Cubs, go!
The much ballyhooed release of the new Harry Potter book makes Chuck O. feel ''out of it.'' Why? He's read none of the Potter adventures. That makes us wonder, who do you think is the MOST ''out of it,'' among the following choices? Someone who has: - July 23, 2007
| not read any of the Harry Potter books. | | | never ridden even a day of RAGBRAI. | | | never watched ''American Idol.'' | | | never used ethanol. | | | not traveled overseas. | | | Total Votes: 30 |
The older we get, the more ''out of it'' we feel, and often it borders on being ''out of it and proud of it!''
Several women have recently been appointed to, or hired for, high-level positions in Iowa, or have been prominent in the news because of their jobs. Which of the following would you most like to meet for a cup of coffee and a long conversation? - July 12, 2007
| Sandy Hatfield Clubb, Drake U. athletic director | | | Elisabeth Buck, new director, Iowa Workforce Development | | | Judy Bradshaw, new chief of police in Des Moines | | | Nancy Sebring, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools | | | Sally Mason, new president of the U. of Iowa | | | Total Votes: 41 |
This is another in a series of occasional questions like this, when we ask which prominent Iowans our readers find most interesting.
Grandbaby Poll, Part II: Maria Offenburger, wife of Andrew and daughter-in-law of Chuck & Carla, was due to have her first child July 2, and she was still waiting on the 5th! So NOW what delivery date is your bet? UPDATE: Lindsay Lee O. born July 9! - July 5, 2007
| July 5 | | | July 6 | | | July 7 | | | July 8 | | | July 9 | | | Total Votes: 26 |
And join us in keeping the young couple in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for the big moment at the Yale University hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. UPDATE: Lindsay Lee Offenburger was born at 8:11 p.m. EDT on July 9, 2007!
Grandbaby Poll: Maria Offenburger, wife of Andrew and daughter-in-law of Chuck & Carla, is due to have her first child July 2. So what delivery date is your bet? - June 29, 2007
| June 30 | | | July 1 | | | July 2 | | | July 3 | | | July 4 | | | Total Votes: 63 |
And join us in a prayer for a healthy, happy birth at the Yale University hospital in New Haven, Connecticut.
We're astonished at how popular auto racing has become in Iowa. Are you? Which kind of race would you most prefer attending, if indeed you are a fan? - June 22, 2007
| Stock cars on a local dirt track | | | Sprint cars on a dirt track, like Knoxville | | | Indianapolis or NASCAR type racing, like Iowa Speedway or Kansas Speedway | | | Figure-8 races on a local track | | | Car racing just doesn't rev me up | | | Total Votes: 45 |
Notice how much space and time that car racing is receiving lately in the Iowa media? Fascinating to watch it grow.
Which best characterizes your feeling about the ongoing process of hiring a new president for the U of I? - June 12, 2007
| This makes for fascinating spectating. | | | This position is so important it's worth taking whatever time is necessary. | | | Isn't this a bit much, for a position that won't likely be held for more than a half-dozen years? | | | This is lasting longer than some candidates' campaigns for the U.S. presidency. | | | I've quit paying any attention to it. | | | Total Votes: 35 |
Wouldn't it be interesting, assuming a president is eventually hired, to get the count of just how many people have been involved in the process one way or another?
We continue to be amazed at how pervasive Internet usage is now becoming in most of our lives. Which of the following would you say is your most frequent use of the 'Net? - June 5, 2007
| Following sports | | | Getting news & opinion | | | In my business and/or for shopping | | | Reference/research, like we once used encyclopedias and almanacs | | | Music & videos | | | Total Votes: 38 |
We're beginning to believe that the Internet is changing our lives even more than TV did.
As we start into summer travel season, which of the following best expresses your thoughts as you pump $3.20-plus per-gallon fuel for your vehicles? - May 29, 2007
| Who's getting rich and not telling? | | | Can't somebody do something about this outrage? | | | They're all in it together, you know. | | | Hurry up with alternative fuels, already. | | | Bicycling is making more sense all the time. | | | Total Votes: 45 |
Notice how convenience store clerks are apologizing now when you pay for the gas for your lawn mower?
Which U.S. president, among just the last five to lead the nation, would you say was ''the worst''? - May 21, 2007
| George W. Bush | | | Bill Clinton | | | George H.W. Bush | | | Ronald Reagan | | | Jimmy Carter | | | Total Votes: 77 |
They're not so PC at the top! Former President Carter said over the weekend that current President Bush's administration is the ''worst in history'' in international relations. The Bush staff retorted that Carter is ''increasingly irrelevant.'' Yowsa!
We have just had our first fresh rhubarb pie of the season from our own rhubarb patch. Could anything be as good as that? - May 14, 2007
| No | | | Possibly home-grown tomatoes in mid-summer | | | Maybe fresh peach pie in August | | | Sweet corn, if a good crop | | | Fresh asparagus, also now coming out of our garden | | | Total Votes: 58 |
Wow, you think about these answers and it just makes you glad to be alive for another summer, doesn't it?
Hillary Clinton easily won our poll last week on who'd be the best Democratic nominee for president. Now it is the Republicans' turn: Who will make the best GOP nominee? You Dems should vote on which would be toughest to beat. - May 7, 2007
| Mitt Romney | | | Rudy Giuliani | | | John McCain | | | Fred Thompson | | | Other | | | Total Votes: 65 |
The ''others'' in this race include Mike Huckabee, Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback, John Cox, Jim Gilmore, Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul, Tommy Thompson and possibly Newt Gingrich and Chuck Hagel.
Now that we're only 18 months away from the next presidential election -- ahem! -- which Democrat would make the best nominee? (Republicans, we'll do this on your race next week, so for now you vote on which Democrat would be toughest to beat.) - May 1, 2007
| Hillary Clinton | | | Barack Obama | | | John Edwards | | | Al Gore | | | Other | | | Total Votes: 103 |
The others include Bill Richardson, Christopher Dodd, Joseph Biden, Dennis Kucinich and are we forgetting anybody else? Tom Vilsack, who was our favorite, already ended his campaign.
Which of these Iowans, prominent in recent news, would you most like to meet for coffee and a long chat? - April 23, 2007
| U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, key player in recent Congressional hearings, getting more independent the older he gets | | | Zach Johnson, champion of golf’s Masters, native of Cedar Rapids, Drake grad | | | Roxanne Conlin, the Des Moines attorney, who won a $180 million settlement for Iowans in a lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. | | | Lolo Jones, world-class hurdler, Des Moines native, expected to star in this week’s Drake Relays | | | The unnamed hair dresser in Dubuque who gave Democratic presidential candidate a $250 haircut | | | Total Votes: 41 |
We do seem to have a lot of Iowans who wind up right in the middle of some real interesting situations, don’t we?
Late winter freezes and snow have nipped the buds of many of our favorite blooming trees and shrubs. Which flowers will you miss the most if indeed we've lost them for this year? - April 16, 2007
| Crab apple blossoms | | | Magnolias | | | Lilacs | | | Forsythias | | | Rhododendrons | | | Total Votes: 40 |
It will soon be clear that it wasn't just electricity that we lost in those late storms!
It's prom time in Cooper! What is your longest memory about your high school prom? - April 11, 2007
| Tuxes & formals | | | Dancing close | | | Corsages & boutonnieres | | | Worrying about getting a date | | | Staying out all night | | | Total Votes: 22 |
What we also remember is that after prom night, we somehow saw our classmates and faculty in new and different ways. For example, who knew that teachers could dance!
As we conclude Lent with this Holy Week, what Easter treat do we like the most? - April 3, 2007
| Malted milk balls shaped like eggs with colorful candy coating | | | The traditional hard-boiled, colored Easter eggs | | | Jelly beans | | | ''Peeps,'' those colorful little rabbits and chickens made of foamy, sugared goo | | | Chocolate Easter bunnies | | | Total Votes: 39 |
A friend of ours has shown us how you can microwave a ''Peep'' for 12 seconds, watch it swell up, then retract after the microwave goes off. Silly as it sounds, it's become kind of an Eastertime ritual at our house.
Quiz for our veteran readers: Farmer Dale Edwards, from the discussions at Sam's Barber Shop in Audubon, always says you know it's time to plant corn when...WHAT? - March 27, 2007
| your county's Iowa State University Extension director says so. | | | farm broadcaster Ken Root says so on WHO radio in Des Moines. | | | your neighbor starts planting. | | | you can pull down your pants and sit bare-cheeked on the soil without being uncomfortable. | | | The Old Farmer's Almanac says so. | | | Total Votes: 42 |
Answer 4 is the correct one. We've heard Edwards say this so often, we've always wondered if he really does it.
Spring officially arrives this week. Which of these events in Iowa is the best sign that spring is really here? - March 19, 2007
| Easter | | | Start of corn planting | | | Drake Relays | | | VEISHEA at Iowa State u. | | | Tulip Time, Pella/Orange City | | | Total Votes: 41 |
After the way the winter ended, we say, ''Spring! Bring it on!''
Besides the actual games, what do you enjoy most about the basketball tournaments? - March 12, 2007
| Drill/dance teams | | | Cheerleaders | | | Pep bands & live music | | | Recorded rock music | | | The big video boards | | | Total Votes: 28 |
And is anybody studying whether motion advertisements in arenas during games are distracting to players, coaches and officials?
With all these blizzard stories, it makes us wonder, what would you least like to be without during one of these severe winter storms? - March 6, 2007
| Electricity | | | Heat | | | Water | | | Phone | | | Spouse/significant other | | | Total Votes: 20 |
It was also pretty tough -- or was it a nice break? -- going without our normal level of news intake.
We are losing our Post Office in our town of Cooper. For small communities like ours (pop. 30), what is the hardest loss to deal with? - February 23, 2007
| Post Office | | | The last church | | | Hardware store | | | Town's newspaper | | | School | | | Total Votes: 57 |
A more hopeful thing to ponder, and maybe a question for a future poll: What areas of small town life are most positively impacted by the availability now of high-speed Internet service?
Robins are back in Iowa already, so what's your guess on how long this winter is going to last? - February 12, 2007
| We've got 'er pretty well whipped now. | | | Don't say it's over until the girls' state basketball tournament is behind us. | | | Have you forgotten what happened on April 9, 1973? | | | I'm betting on one more stretch of below-zero weather. | | | Those robins are going to be real hungry for a worm before they find one. | | | Total Votes: 59 |
We noticed on Sunday, when it hit 30 degrees, that it seemed almost balmy in Iowa. Birds were singing. It was hard not to think about spring. But Monday brought a winter storm watch for much of the state.
Which of the Iowa couples below -- all recently in the news but not all of them married couples -- would you most like to have a cup of coffee and a long chat with? - February 5, 2007
| John & Mary Pappajohn, donors of $30 million in sculpture art to the City of Des Moines | | | Ramona Cunningham & Archie Brooks of CIETC scandal notoriety | | | New Governor Chet & First Lady Mari Culver | | | Barry & Michele Griswell, winners of the Des Moines Register's Iowa Star Award for community involvement | | | Van Harden & Bonnie Lucas, the WHO radio morning show hosts who recently celebrated the show's 20th anniversary | | | Total Votes: 46 |
You know, maybe we should just start scheduling public coffees with people like these.
We've now had our first look at Senator Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate. Whaddya think? - January 30, 2007
| She's no Tom Vilsack. | | | She impressed me more than I thought she would. | | | I'm for her all the way. | | | No way. | | | She's a much more legitimate candidate than Bill Clinton was when we first saw him here. | | | Total Votes: 60 |
One of her biggest challenges, it seems to us, will be getting beyond the ''rock star'' status that has been conferred upon her so that people can determine what she's really like.
''Washington Sketch'' columnist Dana Milbank reported in the Washington Post that 73-year-old U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) was checking his BlackBerry during President Bush's ''State of the Union'' speech. Which best portrays your reaction? - January 24, 2007
| Chuck Grassley has a BlackBerry? | | | I feel even more out of it now, not having one myself. | | | This is the first time I can remember Grassley embarrassing us. | | | What could he have been checking, the basketball score of his UNI Panthers? (They lost at Southern Illinois.) | | | Just whose urgent e-mail might he have been expecting at such a moment? | | | Total Votes: 59 |
Actually, we would have been less surprised if columnist Milbank had spotted Grassley eating a piece of blackberry pie during the big speech.
What's the best advice for new Iowa Governor Chet Culver? - January 15, 2007
| Don't make Lt. Gov. Patty Judge mad because she seems like someone who can straighten up almost anybody -- in a hurry. | | | Don't make Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsen mad because he knows more about state government than you do. | | | If you find the state needs money, ask Kirk Ferentz for help. | | | Skip out-of-state trips for a while, stay in your office and you will look good. | | | If First Lady Mari Culver asks you to wear some goofy costume in public, take an out-of-state trip that day. | | | Total Votes: 43 |
Actually our best advice would be simply this: Make time for fun on the job.
If you could travel overseas soon, like the Offenburgers just have, which country would be your choice? - January 8, 2006
| France | | | China | | | South Africa | | | Argentina | | | Australia | | | Total Votes: 28 |
Fair warning, friends: When the travel bug bites, you almost always have to scratch the itch!
What's your choice among these simple New Year's resolutions? In 2007, I will: - December 31, 2006
| Earn more | | | Pray more | | | Cuss less | | | Be happier | | | Share more | | | Total Votes: 29 |
And we wish you all health and happiness in the New Year!
What would we most like to see happen in 2007? - December 26, 2006
| New coach Gene Chizik taking the Iowa State University football Cyclones to a bowl game, and not the one played on blue artificial turf. | | | $4 per bushel corn, $7 per bushel soybeans. | | | An end to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. | | | The State of Iowa deciding to devote significant funding to maintenance of our recreational trail system. | | | The U.S. enacting a new immigration policy that is both reasonable and compassionate. | | | Total Votes: 27 |
Actually, we just hope for health and a good measure of happiness for you, yours and ours.
Which of the following concerns you most? - December 18, 2005
| The Des Moines Register just reported Iowa has 483,000 K-12 public school students this year, down from 645,000 in 1972. | | | There are more people in Iowa over the age of 75 than under the age of 5. | | | Half of Iowa's 99 counties had more deaths than births in 2003. Only two counties did in 1980. | | | More than half of our 18,000 college graduates each year leave Iowa for their careers. | | | In 1900, Iowa had 11 seats in the U.S.House, now we have five, after 2010 we will have four. | | | Total Votes: 48 |
Why are we kicking anybody out of Iowa?
It's basketball time: Which parts of the sport in the past do we miss most today? - December 11, 2006
| Hook shots | | | Uniform knee socks | | | Shorts that fit | | | Under-handed free throws by some player | | | Pie & coffee at halftime | | | Total Votes: 33 |
Somehow we're even feeling a little nostalgic about the tiny gyms with overhanging balconies.
The best Christmas carol? - December 4, 2006
| ''Hark the Herald Angels Sing'' | | | ''Silent Night'' | | | ''White Christmas'' | | | ''Lo How a Rose Ere Blooming'' | | | ''Joy to the World'' | | | Total Votes: 52 |
Actually, we've always been partial to ''The Holly & the Ivy.''
Which recent Iowa newsmaker would you most enjoy a cup of coffee and a long chat with? - November 27, 2006
| Dan McCarney | | | Denise O'Brien | | | Michael Gartner | | | Rekha Basu | | | Chet Culver | | | Total Votes: 71 |
You know, the real charm of life in Iowa is that you could probably call up any of these five, say you'd like to have coffee and a chat, and they'd probably say, ''Come on over!''
Thanksgiving 2006: What are you most thankful for? - November 19, 2006
| Health | | | Family | | | Faith | | | Prosperity | | | A day off | | | Total Votes: 39 |
And we at Offenburger.com are thankful for readers like you!
What do you most like to eat this time of year? - November 6, 2006
| Hot beef sandwich | | | Piece of fresh pumpkin pie | | | Chicken & noodles | | | Good hot bowl of chili | | | Apple crisp | | | Total Votes: 69 |
It seems like every church in Iowa has either just had, or is soon having, a supper featuring one or more of the items listed here.
What would you most like to have happen? - October 31, 2006
| Your high school football team wins a state title | | | You win big in the Iowa lottery | <
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