I wrote the first draft of this post on my old XP-equipped laptop, the one that illustrates the wisdom of keeping a Stone Age alternative around when Modern Technology goes south. In this case, my problems revolved around Internet connection problems that proved so maddening I had to laugh to keep from going crazy. After…
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While no political pundits commented on it, I found myself fascinated with an unusual sight the day before Ted Cruz took first place in the Republican caucus vote in Iowa. At one of his final campaign stops, the senator from Texas was clad in blue jeans and a work-style shirt. Though his front-runner status quickly…
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Judging by the people I see walking down the street, ignoring their dates in restaurants, or interrupting conversations to check the “ping!” on their device, most everyone today lives on their smart phone. I could curse the darkness. Or, deliver a series of lectures about how rude it is to pay more attention to texts…
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I can’t help cheering over the news reports of late about independent bookstores thriving. Given the trend towards digital reading and ubiquitous cell phone usage, lately it has been easy for a traditional book lover to despair. However, the popular image of books vanishing may be more myth than reality. Take this recent story about…
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With the recent Powerball jackpot topping $1.5 billion, email scammers are going to have to upgrade their approach. Who cares about a measly 10 or 20 million bucks when the three Powerball winners are each knocking down $533 million? Of course, maybe if one of the scammers captured their share, they could afford to take…
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It’s been more than five years since Jamie Oliver’s Emmy-Award-winning Food Revolution aired on ABC, thrusting Huntington, West Virginia into the national spotlight. The series also prompted Winning the Food Fight, the book I helped Pastor Steve Willis (featured in two episodes) write. Although progress in the obesity battle is slow and often frustrating, this…
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As one’s hair grays and withers away, the question becomes ever more common. “So, what’s your retirement plan?” In my estimation, others ask this with the unspoken assumption: “What are you going to do once you can sit around all day and no nothing?” Bad question. A better alternative: “If I stop doing what I’m…
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At Christmas time most everyone tends to give gifts, regardless of race, religion, or any myriad of factors that distinguish one from another. Ironic, since even those who deny the reality of Jesus participate, lest they be accused of imitating Ebenezer Scrooge. While much of this has little to do with the Savior whose birth…
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It’s that time of year when the world slows down and people take time to reconnect with old friends. Say what you will about the ever-increasing commercialization of Christmas, the holiday has some good aspects, including an enjoyable lineup of Christmas movies. This year, we may sit down and watch It’s A Wonderful Life for…
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Third of three parts I was so captivated by the talk by Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, that when the moderator opened the floor for questions, I was the first to the microphone. Like many others in the crowd at Marshall University’s student center, drugs have had a…
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