Writing journey shifts from homicides to hodags

I’ve written a number of books over the years in several different genres. While mysteries are currently my focus, I’ve written romantic and supernatural stories, as well. All of them have had the primary purpose of highlighting gay protagonists, but I wanted to make sure that the overall story is fascinating and not just a…

Brick Lot no longer on recommended dining list

The coronavirus pandemic has turned our world into chaos. After months of restaurants being closed to dining inside, they are opening again to the public in Wisconsin. However, there is one that likely won’t be open long if the attitude of at least one of its servers continues to be antagonistic. My partner, Todd, and…

Early Christmas present from Walmart could save Thanksgiving

Walmart has not always been known for making decisions that hold their employees at heart. As someone who has seen more than one loved one get the short end of the corporation’s stick, it was surprising to me when Walmart did something that I never thought it would do. This week, the superstore juggernaut announced…

Let ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ wave as national anthem

Cancel culture is rearing its ugly head again, and the latest target in its crosshairs is “The Star-Spangled Banner,” our national anthem. The new attempt at shattering a tradition shows that nothing in this country is truly sacred. On Wednesday, Yahoo music editor Lyndsey Parker advocated for finding a new national anthem. She argued that…

Aunt Jemima no longer a slave, except to political correctness

Aunt Jemima has long been seen as the face of a brand of pancake mix and accompanying bottles of syrup. That face was once portrayed by live people who dressed up in the headscarf, blouse and skirt to appear like a slave, similar to the image on the mix boxes and syrup bottles. Now, they…

Woman’s coughing prank clears produce counter faster than panicked shoppers

We’re right smack in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, fearful that we’re surrounded by sick people. However, I should point out that there have been sick people in the world long before coronavirus rolled into the United States. Forgive me, I probably should have transitioned that better. The “sick” people I’m referring to are…

During a wave of depressing news, maybe we need a little fluff

Much of the news we’re seeing right now is downright depressing with the threat of the coronavirus looming over us. As a journalist covering it from a local perspective, it’s been crazy seeing my community go from a bustling hub of activity with school events, community activities and more to being almost like a ghost…

Buttigieg would be ideal running mate for Democrats

The one bright side of having so many candidates running for president was that I actually found someone I could potentially vote for come November without having to remind myself that he is the lesser of two evils. I felt like I could actually vote for him and feel like most, if not all, of…

Celebrity’s death should not matter more than others

I poked my head up a few minutes ago from an afternoon of intense writing, logged into Facebook and discovered that one of basketball’s biggest icons had died today, well before his time. One of my friends had posted an image of Kobe Bryant and the words “rest in peace” with the years 1978 to…

Put your hands up and drop the snowball

Months of staring at snow can get depressing after a while, undoubtedly because there’s a lack of color. No green grass, leaves on trees or pretty flowers in bloom. Thank goodness for fun things like snowball fights, turning that carpet of white into something that doesn’t require accessories like skis, sleds or snowmobiles. You help…

Wedding kiss returns to its regularly-scheduled programming

There are many ways to put the “ding” in wedding. The Hallmark Channel found the wrong way to do so when it decided to pull an advertisement showing two women kissing at a wedding. It seems like every Christmas there’s some controversy that pops up to turn the most wonderful time of the year into…

In the war on Christmas, Thanksgiving’s winning

(Note to readers: This piece was originally supposed to be in the Shawano Leader, the newspaper I work for, but the leadership there put the kibosh on it. That’s not going to stop me from airing it here, though, as my blog is mine.) The holiday season is upon us, which means neverending Christmas music…