I love this time of year: cooler mornings, the back-to-school shopping craze is in full swing and the anticipation of early Christmas deals is already gaining momentum. There was a time when I’d get caught up in all of it. When I was a postmaster, our office personnel would have a lottery ...
What makes us so resistant to change? It seems many developments — especially technical developments — are unwelcome for the first few years. Case in point: electric vehicles. I am amused by the memes and comments on Facebook that ridicule electric cars or EVs for short. Certainly there are hurdles to clear before EVs become common on our highways A friend purchased a new EV within the last year and loves it. He is aware of the vehicle’s shortcomings (like range) but plans his trips accordingly. I don’t anticipate ever owning an EV because engineers keep designing cars ...
“But it wasn’t the money. Like manure, that stuff was better spread around.” That’s a line from near the end of a novel I wrote. It refers to the life-changing infusion of funds won by the book’s heroine, an Iowa farm woman whose dreams collide with a trans lounge singer in Las Vegas. It’s a goofy storyline, in some ways, and I can elaborate on it another time. Its point, though, is crucial: It wasn’t about the money; it was about what she would do with it. With that in mind, I sat down with Dean Bowden the other day to ask him what makes him tick. Many of you know ...
I’ll admit it; I’ve been a bit “hooked” by the 2024 Olympic Games. Maybe it started back in 1996, when our family went on a grand adventure to the ’96 Atlanta Games. I still vividly remember being on the subway when the chaos in Centennial Park happened. Having to evacuate off the ...
My first non-farm job was at our county seat radio station. In the spring of 1966 Mr. Orton, our school newspaper advisor, introduced me to the radio station owner who offered me a part-time job. While attending junior college I worked part time at the station and that led to a full-time job. It was a dream job: 70 hours a week, six days a week beginning at 5 a.m. and every other Sunday, two holidays each year and less than $100 a week. But, hey, it was show business! Within the first year the boss promoted me to writing the local news which was right up my alley, but I still had ...
Diane and I recently had our second grandchild arrive: our first grandson. The little guy is settling in with his parents in Minneapolis and soon will be meeting his cousin, our granddaughter who lives in Ellsworth. In the meantime, we’re watching our son’s two “fur babies” to lessen ...
