I never attended my high school prom. It wasn’t a particular rite of passage I was interested in at the time, although maybe my view has evolved over the years. Of course, if I were in high school today, my own personal interest in the prom would probably take a backseat to another nagging question—Is…
Category: Point of View
These are my posts where I give an opinion about something, take a stand one way or another, give praise and also give criticism.
Can’t abbreviate President of the United States without ‘P.U.’
A recent news report revealed that a majority of Americans are not thrilled with the current slate of candidates running for President of the United States. The Associated Press-GfK poll shows that people might vote for a particular candidate, but they’re doing it with two fingers plugging their noses. Donald Trump topped the unpopular column…
No sympathy for North Carolina’s intolerance
It can be tough to be hateful in America. Just ask North Carolina. The state is facing quite the backlash after its governor signed a bill into law that required transgender people to use the restroom designated for the gender put on their birth certificate, not the gender they identify with. The law also prevents…
When parents become locusts — the Easter egg hunt tragedy
It’s a sad state of affairs when you find parents acting more childish than the kids. It’s really bad when they do it during a holiday. I was sitting at home on Easter, recovering from a nasty cold, when I came across a story about an Easter egg hunt gone horribly wrong. The Pez candy…
New Peanuts movie keeps spirit of creator’s vision alive
I’m a sucker for the classics, for originals. I like many of the things I saw and experienced from my childhood, and I always feel a little bit of trepidation when there’s an announcement that something is going to be redone, revamped or rebooted. Those terms are usually code for “We’ve seen it done this…
Sinfully delicious video offers new take on ‘Son of a Preacher Man’
I love a variety of music, but I especially like finding artists who are not necessarily out in the mainstream, who are in their niche for the joy of the art and not setting a goal of making millions. Back in 2007, I found out about a then-Washington, D.C., musician named Tom Goss. He actually…
The presidential election ride, where no one can hear you scream
It’s just under eight months until the general presidential election, but it feels like a neverending story—a neverending horror story. Primary elections have been underway since early February, sometimes one state at a time, sometimes multiple states on the same day, engaged in a shell game to win a magic number of delegates. Not many…
Pledge of Allegiance alive and well in schools
You hear the old-school patriots bemoaning the fact that the Pledge of Allegiance is no longer recited in school. They should come to Shawano and see the holes in their argument. This morning, I walked outside to start up my car and allow it to warm up before heading to work. I always bring my…
Passing the casserole over the good news about Arizona potluck law
I found out something rather disheartening this morning as I hopped on the Internet and read the news back home (For those of you reading my blog for the first time, “home” is Chino Valley, Arizona). Apparently, I grew up in a state of criminals. What’s worse, I grew up with a family of criminals….
Kanye West’s ‘poor little rich boy’ act is one note
When some people hear the name Kanye West, they think of descriptive phrases like musical genius or superstar. Others think of him as a self-entitled twit and a delusional bully. I fall into the latter category. When I look at the music I’ve listened to and liked over the years, I can’t find a single…
The naked truth about social media and drinking coffee in the buff
The human body is—and always has been—an art form. People have made up many of the subjects of the world’s greatest art. Some people have bodies suitable for da Vinci; others have bodies by Picasso. A common theme in many works of art is nudity. Whether it’s a marble sculpture of an athlete or a…
Let the Paczki Hunger Games begin!
(Note to readers: I wrote this a couple of weeks ago, just prior to the start of Lent, and posted it on my Facebook page. This technically should have prompted my return to the blog instead of the death of the dolphin, but it’s still worth a read, in my opinion.) One of the big…
Rural Roots and American Rainbows 