Finally left the house and almost bought a shed
I used to think that I wouldn’t mind maybe retiring early, spending more time around the house. You know the scenario – you putter around doing projects, eating healthy and spending quality time with your spouse and dogs.... more
This is a great time to not just think about yourself
Well, that escalated quickly. The COVID-19 virus, known as Cononavirus, has pretty much shut everything down. Schools, museums, state parks – you name it, it is probably closed. I am here to say that is a good thing. The World Health Organization has said this is a pandemic, and we certainly don’t want to mess around with a pandemic.... more
It's clear that March can't be trusted
As I write this, it is a rainy, dreary morning. Welcome to March. March is the month we look forward to – it will be warmer than February! – but like that prom date we couldn’t wait for, it usually lets us down.... more
I know you could use a hug right about now
I know what you need right now. You need a hug. I mean, who doesn’t like a good hug? OK, I know there are some people who do not like to be touched. I get that. But most folks like a little comforting contact.... more
The Internet loves a good plane fight
You have got to love the Internet. It is a place filled with conspiracy theories, fake profiles, bucket loads of whining and more arguing than divorce court. It can be a mess.... more
Mall not the popular gathering spot it used to be
How many of you remember going to the mall? That magical place where young people went to hang out and socialize more than buy things. The local mall was a place to see and been seen. It was like cruising main street on a Friday night, but you were instead walking around a horribly decorated box with ugly carpet and populated with a lot of stores you never even noticed.... more
We are outraged over the wrong things
Well, another “Big Game” (the NFL hates when you use their term for it) has come and gone and I didn’t watch one second of it. Not even one of the commercials. OK, I did watch the commercials online the day after the game, but I did not watch them live.... more
Ma Bell would not be pleased
Do you have a landline phone in your house? If you do, you are in the minority, as less than half of American households have a home phone. That includes me. My wife and I haven’t had a landline since probably 2006, when we moved to California. It was an unnecessary expense.... more
I couldn't survive a survival show
There are many places I would love to visit. I love to travel and experience new things. But, to be clear, I am talking about travel to beautiful places with nice accommodations. There will be no camping. There will be no “roughing it.” My mother used to say that to her, camping meant staying in a 2-star hotel. Yes, she was joking. Well, kind of joking.... more
We need the arts now more than ever
Let’s face it – the world is not a sane place right now. From the politics to the wars to raging fires and horrible weather events, things are crazy and getting crazier every day, it seems. We can simply ignore as much of this as possible, of course. Sticking our collective heads in the sand won’t help anything, and might have the opposite effect, but it can at least give us a little peace. That peace is hard to find on social media or at loud family gatherings.... more
Sometimes we have to make hard decisions
Newspapers have long been the fabric of many communities. Papers report on the birth of children, the lives they lead and even their deaths. Council meetings, church services, school awards, arrests – newspapers cover pretty much everything.... more
New pot law won't change much – except popularity of Cheetos
Are you having a hard time breathing through the giant cloud of pot smoke now hanging over Illinois thanks to the new legalization law? No? I didn’t think so. Notice anything at all, really? Probably not.... more
Here are some 2020 predictions
I would love to give 2019 a punch on its way out the door. Polar vortex. Rained out May. Almost no real summer. Early winter. In short, this has not been a great weather year.... more
'Live PD' shows the best, and the worst
I love the TV show “Cops.” It is an adrenaline rush of a show, and one that highlights some of the best police officers and some of the dumbest criminals on the planet.... more