While this blog always showcases my personal perspective on things, this is particularly personal for me. I love my family, and it burns me up when someone tries to hurt a member of my family. This time, someone took a swipe at my 15-year-old niece, Reese, and it was about the cruelest thing imaginable. She…

Facebook is a very useful form of social media. It is also way too easy to use and abuse it, especially during election cycles. With the presidential race showcasing two of the most despised candidates in memory, Facebook has gone from seeing my friends post status updates, photos of recent trips and the occasional hilarious…

Common decency and respect have become endangered species. You can see it with the regular individuals in your community, but it tends to be magnified when you see it live on television. Some Democrats showed they have no respect for other people on the opening night of their national convention. When the Rev. Cynthia Hale…

I’ve long been dismayed at the two-party political system we have in this country. However, this latest election has me convinced that the Republicans and Democrats have both outlived their usefulness, and the existing party structure needs to be scrapped. With the Republican National Convention wrapped up and the Democratic National Convention ready to begin,…

America has found its latest excuse to misbehave and completely take leave of its senses. In less than a week, I think I’ve heard more about Pokemon Go than about the presidential elections. First came the flurry of Facebook posts as some of my friends practically squealed with delight about the game that’s helping to…

Another tragic act of violence. Another morning that America has awoken to the news that people are dead, others are mourning and many are angry. I climbed out of bed this morning, took the dog out to do his business and turned on the television to the news that snipers had opened fire on police…

We’re only a few days away from the celebrating America’s independence, a movement that started 240 years ago after colonists in what is now the eastern United States felt they could no longer be subject to the tyrannical thumb of England. It took a number of years and the loss of many lives in a…

The last couple of weeks have been an interesting experiment in how we as Americans react to harsh tragedy in a world where social media has saturated every corner of almost every community. We’re sliding downhill—not a scary pace, but enough to make one grimace. I remember when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks took place…

My Sunday morning plans seemed perfect. Today was the day for the big Brunch on the Farm for Shawano County, and anyone who has been to one of those knows how busy they are and how much attraction they generate from parents who don’t live on farms but want to make sure they realize their…

Next Monday is Memorial Day, and it holds different meanings for different people. For many people, it’s the climax of a three-day weekend where the unofficial start of summer takes place. There’s beer, barbecue and bikinis making up an unholy trinity. Bzzzzt! Wrong! Thank you for playing, and we have some lovely parting gifts for…