So, I’m about to turn 60 years old. And, it’s kind of blowing my mind. My sister recently came across some old family vacation pictures and posted them. My reaction was simply to marvel at all the time that has passed since those days of childhood and young adulthood. So many memories. I was 21 years old when my best […]

These days, if someone doesn’t like the facts as presented, he or she can simply declare that there are alternative truths. Mind you, they are not lies. Allow me to offer some ATs that if true, would rock the world. Dale Earnhardt was gay. Were this true, NASCAR lovers all over America would be trying to scour away their tattoos. […]

Some random thoughts as we say farewell to 2018 and wonder what 2019 will hold. I saw this sign in Wichita recently: We are ugly house buyers. There is no photo, so I can’t be sure what these realtor wannabes look like, but I am guessing a clearer statement would be: We buy ugly houses. But, I don’t know. Perhaps […]

I’m sure more than one set of eyes rolled when the news broke that the state of Kansas recalled some 731 license plates with the letters “JAP” on them. Apparently, one of the vehicle tags was spotted in California, and a gentleman there wrote our governor, the Kansas Department of Revenue and the U.S. Department of Transportation to express that […]

No matter which way you lean politically, one thing should be clear to everyone: America is facing a crisis of killing, and guns are the weapons of choice. As I write this late Thursday, the country is reeling again from another mass shooting, this time at a country music bar in California. For the record, this is the 307th time […]

Because words matter; sometimes actions speak louder than words, and sometimes they don’t. Because men (and women) are of God, and borders are of man. Because people are people, no matter what they look like or where they are from. Because being louder doesn’t make one righter. Because, historically, 25 percent of Kansas are responsible for making decisions that affect […]

I typically become unhappy when parents take students out of school for family vacations. Why can’t they travel during the summer or Christmas break or spring break? I have been heard to ask. Well, last week, I basically did the same thing. My wife and I packed up the camper and headed for the hills. Technically, it was the mountains, […]

A person never knows what can be found at a second-hand store. I was perusing the bookshelves at a local charity shop recently and came across an interesting paperback, “The Band Name Book.” Its pages contained just what one would expect in a volume with that title, a list of thousands of rock music group names. The original retail price […]

rSome people mistakenly believe that spending money on travel is a waste of funds. I certainly disagree. There is much to learn when one mounts a car, boat, plane, motorcycle or even a bicycle for a long-distance journey. A June trip to the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom was most assuredly a learning experience. Allow me to share […]

I own books. I also own a Kindle electronic reader. Each has its particular strengths, and each has obvious weaknesses. I believe they can coexist in the modern world. Obviously, books were here first. Once Johannes Gutenberg developed movable type, the printed word took off. From the Bible to “Fifty Shades of Grey,” books have affected human lives in profound […]