I know just where to be when the zombie apocalypse hits
I see a man was recently arrested after allegedly living at O’Hare Airport in Chicago for a few months. It is like the movie “The Terminal” come to life.... more
I have a lot on my mind right now
I know that we live in incredibly divisive times, and it is taking a toll on all of us. Recent shocking events have turned family members against each other, turned friends into enemies and have people seriously questioning reality.... more
New conspiracy theories take the crazy cake
Let’s just go ahead and admit that we live in a crazy, crazy world. Things have never been more insane and downright dumb than they are right now. OK, maybe the Salem Witch trials were worse, but it is pretty bad now. ... more
Here are my generally off the mark annual predictions
Would you look at that – we all made it out of 2020 and into 2021. Seriously, we should take a moment to be thankful we made it here. As we all know, 2020 was a year like no other in our lifetimes. The pandemic has killed more than 330,000 Americans – including people I know and you probably know – and has infected many others. Some of them are still having health problems and might have permanent issues due to the COVID-19 virus.... more
2020 ended on a high note for me
“Have you ever heard of News Media Corp.?” I was talking on the phone with my son, Nick. He was days away from college graduation and was looking for his first job in the newspaper industry. I know, I know. Newspapers aren’t exactly a growth industry. Don’t think I didn’t tell him that when he talked about majoring in Journalism (actually, some type of new-fangled communications).... more
Hard to get in the Christmas spirit this year
Here we are – Christmas week. Seems like it is only about June, doesn’t it? OK, maybe not the weather, but this has been one incredibly strange year. It has thrown my sense of time off completely.... more
Something missing from new jail ceremony
I have been watching the new jail go up in Oregon since the ground-breaking in April of 2019. I wrote quite a few stories about the new facility before that event more than a year and a half ago even took place. Stories about how bad the current jail was. Stories about why the new jail was needed. Stories about the County Board approving the project. Stories about the City of Oregon fighting the project (well, a road closure). Public meetings, public disagreements, threats of lawsuits.... more
Still plenty to be thankful for in 2020
Let’s just go ahead and say it: 2020 has been a real bummer of a year. This pandemic has clearly put the clamp down on a lot of things in our lives. For me, it has meant a lot of cancelled band gigs, and not going to see live music – something I absolutely love to do. We have spent less time with friends and basically no time with family. As social people, this has been pretty hard.... more
The holidays should be different this year
The world is a very different place today than it was at the beginning of the year. Yes, we will have a new president in this country next year. But I am really taking about COVID-19, the virus that has changed all of our lives.... more
Some ways to get the recent election off of your mind
Another election has come and gone. For that, I am thankful. Sure, there will be grousing and threats and finger-pointing, but that happens to varying degrees in almost every election cycle. But this one, which seemed to be particularly nasty and angry to me, is finally (mostly) over.... more
Newsrooms are the place to be on election night
There is nothing quite like election night at a daily newspaper. Newsrooms at daily newspapers buzz with activity on a normal day. There is a lot of bantering back and forth. There is plenty of questioning and second guessing: Do you need that third paragraph? Is that source biased? Where are we going for a beer after work?... more
Who needs a rake on a windy day?
As my front yard fills with leaves this time of year, it always makes me think back to “fall” when I was growing up in Arizona. It was that time of year when the temperature would finally drop below 100 degrees. At times, it could get almost what you would consider cool at night. And it was the one time a year we could use a rake.... 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