Land-use challenges evident on trip

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 02 February 2010 19:50

I’m in a motel on Bowles Street in St. Louis—it’s the east side of town, but the Missouri side of the river.

At this moment, it seems someone must have switched the “e” and the “l” on Bowles Street, because after two days of Italian food—one of Southern fried, plus forays to Krispy Kreme doughnuts—I am in agony.

My national book distributors are near here, on Big Bend Avenue, but I won’t see them. You see, my wife and my brother are happily talking about going to Krispy Kreme again before we see and buy more stuff.

I’m not feeling like I need more stuff, and as for doughnuts, I only want the vacant holes today, but know I will go for the total gluttony, smack, smack, oink, oink.

Many people here look like Marion...

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Remote-control people now popular

Written by Kevin Hower Tuesday, 05 January 2010 19:49

“The queen is dead. Long live the queen.” That was a phrase spoken in a movie—“Elizabeth,” with Cate Blanchett—that I watched over the weekend, and it got me thinking.

It seems to me that for added clarity, it would have been better if someone back then had decided to say instead, “The former queen is dead. Long live the new queen,” or something to that effect. Maybe I’m just over-thinking it. Nah…surely not me.

I had a thought over the Christmas season. What if you were naughty but, for whatever strange reason, you actually wanted coal for Christmas? What would you get in your stocking? I mean, would you actually get coal, or would Santa figure out something you didn’t want and give you that instead?

Burning...

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It’s hard letting go of power, isn’t it?

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 01 December 2009 21:10

Yikes! It’s nearly time for school to be out, and now the English teacher says we must complete a theme before we leave.

Oh yeah, I’m not a kid anymore...wrong authority figure. It’s the editor, not the English teacher, and it’s this column. I forgot it was due this week. I have to come up with something meaningful for you, and my wife says I really hadn’t ought to pick on Howard Collett anymore.

Sorry, Howard. It’s just that you are one of the few good guys to hold public office that I’ve known—even had the good sense to quit, and play at other games when you felt it was time.

Most people don’t seem to have that good sense. When they grab hold of a little power, they change nearly overnight, and become a problem for...

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Taking a novel plunge for literature

Written by Kevin Hower Tuesday, 03 November 2009 13:36

Last week, Shelley Plett wrote about NaNoWriMo, the contest in which one writes a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, specifically Nov. 1-30. I decided to do it.

As of this moment, I have what I consider a comfortable start of several thousand words. However, they were written on a weekend day, with no other significant distractions, save writing this column.

I’m an incredibly long ways from the finish line and well aware of that fact. I also have a busier than usual month coming up here at work, but I still intend to finish this book with at least 50,000 words. There… I’ve said it. Now, I’ll have to finish. As Yoda said, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

I’ve heard, or maybe read somewhere, that there are no new ideas in...

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