Rollins Report (07/13/08)
Buckle up... I am so happy that the presidential candidates for this presidential election are conducting campaigns of change, i.e., ones that are drastically different and much improved from all previous campaigns and ones that promise the hope of everything being so much better under their potential administrations than ever before in history...

God bless our patriots! (07/06/08)
Patriotism has been a hot topic over the past week or so. Suddenly, Barack Obama appears to have acquired a taste for it. He appeared not too keen on the topic when he refused to wear an American flag lapel pen, saying that, in his opinion, the pen had replaced "true patriotism" for some public officials...

What is their reasoning? (06/15/08)
I have to wonder about the thinking of all the folks who are opposed to the U.S. Government allowing drilling for oil off our coasts and in Alaska. Apparently, one of their primary arguments for disallowing this drilling is the environment. Wouldn't it make sense, if they are really concerned about the environment, that these people would work tirelessly to halt all drilling everywhere?...

Mind your own... (06/08/08)
I am a Hank Williams Jr. fan -- not of all of his music but a lot of it. One of the songs he sings that I really like is "Mind Your Own Business." Do you know anyone who needs to hear that message? It goes like this: "If the wife and I are fussn', brother that's our right...

Seeing the benefit (06/01/08)
I was listening to Max Morgan reminisce last week about beginning to work for Baker Implement 48 years ago. As I was talking to him for a story the newspaper was going to run about his retirement, what he was saying caused me to reminisce as well. I was surprised when Max said he used to work on my father's cotton pickers, and those of Milfred Collins...

McCaskill on Comedy Central (05/25/08)
I don't know how many of you who read my column watch The Colbert Report, but you might want to take note of it this week. I received a press advisory from the office of Claire McCaskill last week that said the Senator would fulfill a long-held dream -- of her teenage daughter. What is that dream? To appear on The Colbert Report...

Protecting our culture (05/18/08)
A lot of Americans have an appreciation for our great country that is only skin deep. Because so many of us have such a shallow appreciation for it, just how imminent its fall potentially is cannot be understood. Those good people among us should definitely remember what is at stake...

Being prepared... (05/11/08)
I have watched with interest the answers to the poll ques­tion from the newspaper last week. The question was: What are you most likely to do if you see a tornado? Possible responses included: Watch as it passes; run for shelter; and, call someone else and warn them, then run for shelter...

Like there is no tomorrow (05/04/08)
A headline in a newspaper several days ago read, "Wake-up Call." It continued, "Friday's magnitude 5.2 earthquake wasn't the 'Big One,' but it raised awareness of a fault-line we've been overlooking." I know folks here in Kennett who were awakened by that earthquake. I never knew it happened...

Watching out (04/13/08)
There are some jobs few of us really appreciate. Among those jobs few of us really appreciate are teachers, military personnel, police, fire fighters, weather forecasters, and, yes, newspaper editors and writers. Weather forecasters are in a position where they can hardly win. Because they are in such a position, those people who must consider forecasters' reports are sometimes placed in a position where they can hardly win...

Jeremiah was a...? (04/06/08)
So what's new in the Jeremiah Wright Jr. saga? Who is this guy? I really hate that Jeremiah Wright Jr. has had to endure such hardship in an America ruled and dominated by a white community determined to hold every other segment of society and American culture down. We should feel for the terrible situation he has grown up and lived in and has to look forward to...

Conversing about race (03/30/08)
One of our presidential hopefuls continues to say that we have to have a conversation about race in America. Yes, that hopeful is Barack Obama. I tend to agree with him about that -- we do need to have a conversation about race in America. Of course, Obama says the conversation must begin with what he labels the "white community" in his words, "acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination -- and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past -- are real and must be addressed. ...

Cleaning up (03/23/08)
Kudos to Kennett's Mayor John Wheeler for declaring a "war on rubbish." There could be various other "wars" declared in the city, but one on trash is as good a place to start as any. Beginning on March 15, city officials began warning residents and businesses with trashy yards and areas to clean things up. In one day alone, city officials issued more than 300 notices of violation...

In the whole scope . . . (03/16/08)
I read articles every now and then about science and our universe. The more I read the more I chuckle at what scientists tell us about our world. For example, this is what I read last week in the March issue of Scientific American: "One hundred years ago a Scientific American article about the history and large-scale structure of the universe would have been almost completely wrong. ...

And that's a winner! (03/09/08)
What might our society be losing with its win at any cost attitude? Anything? Everything? Nothing? What is winning, really? Winning at any cost has certainly crept into practically every aspect of life. From childrens' sporting activities, childrens' educational activities, youth sporting activities, youth educational activities, all the way to adult religious activities one sees the attitude...

Let's just outlaw it! (03/02/08)
So some states, I hear, have outlawed talking on a cell phone while driving in a vehicle. That is simply a wonderful idea! Why stop there, though? Now our "law experts" should also outlaw talking in a vehicle altogether. If one cannot talk on the cell phone, after all, he should not be allowed to talk at all while driving a vehicle. Imagine, no more back seat drivers! No more inadequate directions provided by a self-appointed navigator sitting in the passenger sat...

A lesson from a 'homeless veteran' (02/24/08)
I have never bought into the notion that a giver should just give, to either an institution or individual, without regard to how that institution or individual manages the gifts received. That reasoning has always been lost to me, making no sense at all. Furthermore, that reasoning abrogates both the giver and the recipient of responsibility. Neither should be irresponsible...

Gentlemen! Start your engines (02/17/08)
Gentlemen! Start your engines. Those are the words NASCAR fans will hear somewhere around 1 p.m. today [Sunday]. I can't wait! My team, Joe Gibbs Racing, will be racing new cars this season -- Toyotas. I'm wondering how that will turn out, and hoping that "my" driver, Tony Stewart, will win another championship...

White House or Dog House (02/10/08)
Will Mitt Romney's dream to one day be in the White House -- as President -- come true? Who knows? Right now, I think he very well might be in the Dog House. After the presidential primaries and caucuses on Super Tuesday, Mitt Romney said, "You know, Ann [his wife], came to me and she said, 'You know, the one thing that's clear tonight is that nothing's clear.' But I think she's wrong. One thing that's clear is this campaign is going on...

Move over Hillary and Barack (02/03/08)
Who is/was the first woman to ever run for President of the United States? Would you say Democrat Geraldine Ferraro? She was not, but she was the first woman vice-presidential candidate to run on a national party ticket. Would you say Republican Elizabeth Dole? She was not either, but she was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000...

Dream on! (01/27/08)
Have you heard the latest theory put forth about dreams? Sigmund Freud, as you well know, thought dreams were ways of fulfilling forbidden wishes or desires, usually sexual. After Freud, some asserted that dreams were subconscious efforts to work out conflicting emotions...

Bear Wise (01/20/08)
I read with interest a headline in the January 2008 issue of Missouri Conservationist. The headline said: "Be Bear Wise in Missouri? Yes! Don't let handouts, intentional or otherwise, create a 500-pound menace." The story described how a well-intentioned southwestern Missouri couple had done just that. ...

What really matters? (01/13/08)
The best idea of what prosperity is that I have heard is stated by the late Adrian Rogers: The progressive realization of the will of God for one's life. He also noted that prosperity may or may not mean material wealth, e.g., Mother Teresa. An idea closely related to this idea of prosperity is effectiveness. To be effective for longer than the span of one's own life, one must have a grasp of what really matters...

A worthy goal... (12/30/07)
I do not like the term "New Year's Resolutions." Why? You know why - because millions of us make them each and every New Year. The practice of making New Year's Resolutions has become a joke. We start the New Year excitedly committed to a new resolution only to abandon it by February or March! Therefore, the practice of making New Year's Resolutions is viewed by many as an exercise in futility...

Where the ...? (12/23/07)
If you were around the television in the early 1980s you'll remember the little catch phrase, "Where's the beef?" "Where's the beef?" came to our attention in a Wendy's television commercial. This cute little old lady receives a hamburger from a Wendy's competitor with a small piece of beef sandwiched between two large pieces of bread, prompting her to exclaim, "Where's the beef?"...

No apology necessary... (12/16/07)
Where does Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney get off "being offended" because fellow Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee questions whether Mormonism believes that Jesus and Satan are brothers? Of all the presidential candidates, which one has been quizzed more about his faith than any other? I do not think it has been Romney. Rather, it has been Huckabee, and Huckabee has answered each and every question forthrightly and honestly...

The governor is right ... (12/09/07)
This is not an endorsement of Governor Mitt Romney for president. What follows are, however, thoughts about his recent address entitled, "Faith in America." One of the comments he makes in the speech is, "There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us, [i.e., the United States]."...

Higher Standards (12/02/07)
What is grace? Theologically speaking, grace is the spontaneous character of God in which He designs gifts and bestows favors upon one who does not deserve them and cannot earn them. Not necessarily theologically speaking, grace is an act of kindness or of kind assistance to one in need of it...

Appropriately put, Mr. President (11/18/07)
Entertainers, broadcasters, speakers and politicians are interesting people aren't they? I am thinking of this as I am reading about the Democrat's Las Vegas presidential debate [I am actually reading about it before it happened not after.]. The news story I am reading pictures three of the Democratic presidential candidates at the top. ...

Insincere propagators (11/11/07)
Ethics -- the rules or standards governing the conduct by which a person or society lives and makes decisions. Interestingly, one's ethics and a society's ethics appear to change given particular circumstances. Most every person I know manages to redefine his ethics, depending upon the circumstances he finds himself in...

Good luck, Joe! (11/04/07)
Okay, those of you who are not sports fans might as well stop reading now. This is about Joe Torre. I do not remember the years Torre managed the St. Louis Cardinals. I do remember thinking at the time that he appeared to have his hands tied regarding the team, however. Perhaps that perception was wrong but it was the one I had at the time...

So you think you have heard everything? (10/28/07)
"Fair warning?" Just when one thinks he has heard "everything" something else weird pops up. When talking to our District Attorney last week about the final settlement of the James R. Niederstadt court case, he informed me that the reason a three-judge panel from the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals attempted to reverse Niederstadt's conviction was because, they asserted, he did not have "fair warning" that fondling a sleeping teenage girl could be prosecuted as it was...

Making amends (10/21/07)
I have been doing some reading and studying of the U.S. Constitution this week, primarily because I’m helping a couple of ninth-grade students with school work. One of the questions we addressed last week was, why did the framers of the Constitution make the amendment process to the Constitution so difficult?...

The Interval Between (10/14/07)
Under most circumstances, a person has no input on when he is born and no input on when he dies. The quality of the interval between, however, is very much dependent upon the choices a person makes. Some of us waste a lot of time wondering about why various circumstances and events are the way the are. That wasted time impacts the quality of the interval between...

The brevity of life (09/30/07)
It is written, "Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty…soon they disappear, and we fly away…Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom," (Psalm 90). I was reminded of those words this week when reading about an Arizona teen becoming the sixth victim this year of a brain-eating amoeba...

Teachers, Mothers and a few Fathers (09/09/07)
I heard some comments last week comedian Jeff Foxworthy made regarding teachers. Some of them reminded me of many mothers, good mothers, and a handful of fathers, as well as teachers. Foxworthy's question was, "How do you know you are a teacher?" Paraphrased, "How do you know you are a good mother (parent)?"...

Saggy pants outlawed? (08/26/07)
I read last week that the City of Atlanta is addressing a "dis-dressing" issue. There are undoubtedly more pressing issues than the one they're addressing, but few more annoying, I think. We see the same thing along the streets of Kennett, or at ball games, or at Wal-Mart, or Casey's -- practically everywhere one might be...

Interesting quotes and stuff (08/18/07)
I read some interesting items this week and made note of them. One thing I read was a riddle that Albert Einstein supposedly wrote. Here it is, see if you can figure it out. A man encountered a bear in a wasteland. There was no one else there. Both were frightened and ran away...

Excuse me! (07/15/07)
Although I have been somewhat less zealous in my appreciation of Major League Baseball since the player's last strike, I remain a St. Louis Cardinal fan. I do not follow the Cardinals as I once did. Still, when I heard a silly statement made by ESPN's Joe Morgan during the telecast of the Home Run Derby, I became quite irritated...

Getting it right (07/08/07)
I am fascinated by a few of our readers who are quick to point out the newspaper's occasional spelling or grammar errors. I am fascinated for a couple of reasons. First, knowing that folks read the paper so closely and see the errors we make is encouraging because we know we're being read!...

Soft or hard? (07/01/07)
No, I am not talking about ice cream. I am talking about NASCAR's recent penalties handed down to drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson. Clearly, there was no favoritism here! (ha!) Earnhardt's team deliberately broke NASCAR rules. Gordon's and Johnson's teams modified their "Car(s) of Tomorrow" by making changes to areas of the car not "covered" by NASCAR's templates. Each team was penalized basically the same, however...

Our Planet Earth (06/24/07)
Our planet Earth is an interesting creation. That should come as no surprise! Just this past week I read of oceanographers who have discovered that marine ecosystems on drifting icebergs actually absorb carbon dioxide in the air. Wouldn't it be fascinating if the Earth has, completely without the assistance of mankind, found a way to reduce "harmful" effects of greenhouse gases?...

A good woman (06/17/07)
A very wise man once said, "Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the fear of God" (Proverb 31, TMB). About that same woman it is said, "Her husband trusts her without reserve and never has reason to regret it . . . She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day . . . She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor" (Proverbs 31, TMB)...

Scientifically skeptical (06/10/07)
Ever heard of eugenics? Basically, it is selective breeding. Hitler had that in mind, but several scientists in the United States did as well. The "scientific" idea was to breed a "class" of "superior" humans. This was done in the name of science. Ever heard of global warming? Basically, the idea, expounded by numerous scientists, is that human beings are so polluting the earth that we are destroying the ozone layer and significantly, even dangerously, contributing to global warming...

More quotes (05/27/07)
"The days of the digital watch are numbered," so said Tom Stoppard. More quotes I came across this past week included that one, which I thought was cute. Others are more serious. When I read that first one, however, I thought of what Jesus said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows," (Luke 12:6-8 NIV)...

Quotes (05/20/07)
"Anything too stupid to be said is sung," Voltaire said. I came across some interesting quotes this week, and that was one of them. When I read it, I thought to myself, "How true." Immediately coming to my mind when I read that quote were the lyrics of RAP. Those "song writers" say practically anything they want, including racist comments. They "sing" what most would not dare speak (consider Imus). They "sing" what is too stupid to say...

Errors, trials, losses and gains (05/06/07)
When one reads these words, what does one think of, "The trials were severe, the errors numerous, the losses colossal . . . "? Perhaps, immediately, the war in Iraq comes to the minds of some? There have obviously been errors made regarding the war. To some, the loses brought about by the war have been colossal. To some, yes, the trials severe...

Dangerously hazardous (04/29/07)
An interesting -- I guess "interesting" is the word to use -- thing has developed on north Independence Ave. in Kennett. Traffic is parking for quite some distance along the shoulder of the highway in zones that are clearly marked "no parking." I do not know what the answer is concerning the situation that has developed, but I do know it is a hazardous situation...

Offensive hoopla (04/15/07)
At least one thing stands out regarding all the hoopla about the situation with radio talk show host Imus -- MONEY. One note of interest is expressed in this USA Today headline: "Could his offensive remarks bring down a multimillion-dollar media business?"...

The Very Best is Yet to Be (04/08/07)
Christians around the world are celebrating the opposite ends of emotions this weekend. They are celebrating defeat, or at least what momentarily appeared as defeat. They are celebrating victory. They are, or at least should be, celebrating the breadth and height of human emotions...

Kept in the dark (03/25/07)
I am guessing that few of us appreciate being kept in the dark. Yet, that is precisely where so many of us remain, and usually because we simply choose to be there. Regardless, when for whatever reason something comes to light, many of us express frustration about having been "kept" in the dark...

Spilling the beans (03/18/07)
I have enjoyed several servings of 15-bean soup recently, thanks to Mom. That soup, along with stew, makes a very good meal on a cold or cool day. Crumpling a couple of pieces of cornbread into a bowl of soup or stew is delicious! My daughter has also shared with me some tortellini soup. I do believe it is definitely my favorite!...

Speak the truth (03/11/07)
Last week presidential candidate John McCain said that for the United States to pull out of Iraq in defeat would be to waste American lives. The day after he said that, people jumped his case for using the word "wasted" when speaking of the Americans who have been killed in the war...

Don't Stop; Just Pay (03/04/07)
Many of our politicians appear to be playing an interesting game, along with others, with those who smoke (Incidentally, I do not smoke -- except for a rare cigar.). Fact is, however, if they will play this game with smokers and tobacco companies, rest assured they would play it with the rest of us as well...

Being first is not always best (02/04/07)
In our competitive, free-market, capitalistic society, the push to be first in practically every area of life is prominent. We see the push for first in sports (World Series, Super Bowl, U.S. Open, etc.). We see the push for first in business, although it is usually first in sales and not customer service! We see this push in academics...

Too serious (01/14/07)
There will always be those who think more of themselves than they should. Consequently, those kinds of folks demean others, or attempt to, through various expressions. You've seen those kinds of people, haven't you. They may walk around with their chests puffed out. They may walk around with their noses stuck up. They may even use physical dominance or violence against a weaker person -- and this makes them "feel good" about themselves?...

Hangouts (01/07/07)
I do not know what term the young people use today for what in my day was called a "hangout." When I was in high school, the hangout was the pool hall at Holcomb, or McGee's Drive-in at Kennett, or the A&W, or the pool hall at Kennett, or the bowling alley -- places like that...

Signs (12/26/06)
I used to be a Boy Scout. I remember taking a trip to Lake Wappapelo one time. Our Scout leaders had hiked through the woods before we arrived, marking certain little signs for us to find and follow along a certain path. Each scout's responsibility was to follow those signs that marked our trail back to our campsite...

Heaven's declaring (12/17/06)
Sky watchers have been seeing some fascinating sights this week. The Geminid meteor shower has been occurring. My son came in from hunting the other morning and told me how many "shooting stars" he and friends had seen that morning. Friday morning observers got to watch Saturn, the second-largest planet in the solar system, move across the sky with the moon...

What we do not see; what we will see (12/10/06)
What we do not see -- I was scanning the Internet this week, after being notified of this via e-mail, and found a photo and cutline of interest in a publication by the U.S. Air Force. When I saw it and read the cutline, I asked myself, "Why don't we see this kind of story in the press?"...

We can not forget (12/03/06)
A carefully planned attack on Dec. 7, 1941, against an unprepared United States removed for a while the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat or deterrent to Japan's southward expansion. It also brought America into World War II...

Check it out (11/26/06)
Folks in the office of the Daily Dunklin Democrat, and perhaps others who may have been watching the sky Wednesday of last week, observed a most unusual sight. The sight prompted me to call the Department of Homeland Security, and pointed out to me at least how significant fighting terrorists overseas is...

A $20 million sinking feeling (11/19/06)
What happens to an old warship? Some become museums; at least one was sunk. Which one? The USS Oriskany. How much did it cost to sink it? Only $20 million. The government, more specifically the Navy, originally estimated the cost of the sinking to be $2.8 million. In the end, it was $20 million...

The "Clean" Dozen (11/12/06)
One of my favorite movies is "The Dirty Dozen." I have watched it more times than I can remember. In the movie, a U.S. Army Major, played by Lee Marvin, is assigned a dozen convicted murderers to train and lead into a mass assassination mission of German officers in World War II...

Risk management (11/05/06)
I was watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart one day last week and his guest was John Mueller, the author of a new book entitled, "Overblown: How Politicians and the Terrorism Industry Inflate National Security Threats, and Why We Believe Them." I have not read the book. Apparently, however, the premise of the book is that at least this administration has overblown the threat of terrorism to Americans...

Safe passage (10/29/06)
No wonder this camper decided to sue the government after he fell off a cliff, if he knew of the person who sued McDonalds because she spilled hot coffee on herself and won. This 23-year-old, Jerry Mersereau, expects the government to pay for his injuries and "mental anguish" after he fell almost 30 feet from a cliff to a creek bed below...

A few more gracious people (10/15/06)
I read this statement in the October, 2006 issue of the Smithsonian magazine: "Never mind the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet. Astronomers have found about 200 planets orbiting other stars, and they say it's only a matter of time before they discover another Earth."...

Sound advice (09/24/06)
On Friday, May 17, 1946, a man was driving from Chicago, Ill. to a destination in Arkansas. The man had been in Chicago, moving his family's furniture into a small house in the suburb of Forest Park. He was driving a 1942 Buick on Highway 60 near Sikeston, Mo. late at night, when the right front tire on his Buick blew out. His car crashed. He was thrown from the car but ended up in a ditch, where he drowned...

Secrets (09/17/06)
I wrote this paragraph in my column last week: "And critics keep calling this administration one with a "penchant for secrecy." These critics cannot be so ignorant of history that they do not realize every previous administration has had the same penchant."...

The needs of the many and of the few. (09/10/06)
So, who in the world was really surprised by the "revelation" this past week by President Bush that the United States has interrogated hardened terrorists in secret CIA jails around the world? Was anyone really surprised? And critics keep calling this administration one with a "penchant for secrecy." These critics cannot be so ignorant of history that they do not realize every previous administration has had the same penchant...

Slow to speak (09/03/06)
Politicians say some silly things. Perhaps the reason we "catch" them saying so many silly things is because they talk so much. That reminds me of an old proverb, "He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles" (Proverbs 21:23)...

Through the mill (08/27/06)
Have you noticed how presidents, after leaving office, or by the time they actually leave office, look as if they have been run "through the mill?" The first president I voted for was Jimmy Carter. Yes, I DID vote for Jimmy Carter (for all of you who think I am a staunch Republican and who never voted for a Democrat in my life!) By the time he reached the end of his one term in office he looked as if he had been run "through the mill." I was glad to see him get out of office for that reason alone.. ...

Put your name behind it (08/13/06)
Many years ago I observed what appeared to be a case of child abuse. Each week I would see a particular child and notice bruises, an occasional black eye, and what appeared to be bites. When I attempted to talk to the parents about what I noticed, I often received conflicting remarks which were usually not very convincing...

Airport, President, and Israel (08/06/06)
Kennett The new terminal building at the airport is certainly an impressive introduction to the city of Kennett for travelers here via air. I have a friend who flies here occasionally from Jonesboro and he is impressed with the building. The airport has come a long way since it first opened in a 40-acre field, not that I was here to see it then! Now sitting on 350 acres with two runways, a parallel taxiway, and a 165,000 square foot concrete apron, it should impress air travelers who are coming into this size city.. ...

New service for on-line visitors (07/30/06)
Since I seldom am home when the news is on television, I often go to my computer to view video news. I was enthused to learn that a new service would be becoming available to online patrons of our newspaper. The Daily Dunklin Democrat now has this new service available to online patrons. The new service: Video from the Associated Press...

Wise choices (07/23/06)
Is there ever a time when one does not face the challenge of making difficult decisions? Students face them when attempting to decide what university to attend. Which people should I hang out with? Should I continue or break off a relationship. Parents face them when attempting to guide their children onto and down the "right" path of life...

Have you heard the latest news regarding chocolate? (07/16/06)
Since I was a child, I have been eating M&Ms and hearing that they "melt in your mouth, not in your hand." For the most part, that has been true. Wouldn't having a Snickers that does not melt in your hand be nice, though? The latest news from Nigeria -- wait a minute, why from Nigeria? Turns out that much of the world's cocoa is produced in Nigeria. I did not know that!...

The thrill of speed (06/26/06)
Race-On Driving Experience is a company in Memphis, Tenn. which provides for those with the need for speed. A couple of weeks ago, I got to experience the thrill of speed at the Memphis Motor Sports Park, thanks to owner J.D. Ballinger. Ballinger's grandfather was a resident at the Senath Nursing Center when I got to meet him. Having been told that he was a racing enthusiast, and the owner of Race-On Driving Experience, we struck up a conversation about racing...

Religion will count for something (06/25/06)
A friend has suggested that I read Madeleine Albright's "The Might and the Almighty." I am reading it and have been surprised by a few statements Albright makes in the first chapter [that is as far as I've gotten so far]. So look for a more thorough evaluation of the book in the future...

You can run but you cannot hide (06/11/06)
I remember a talk I had with a Navy man. He was telling me that most Americans do not understand the minds of terrorists. Having been in Operation Enduring Freedom, he has probably earned an opportunity to express his opinion that Muslim terrorists do not care who they torture, maim, and murder. His thought is that they will do absolutely anything to anyone, children and women included, to accomplish their mission...

Take it with … (05/28/06)
Pompey, also known as Pompey the Great, originated a common phrase we use today. The item in the common little phrase he is responsible for finds itself in every kitchen in America. Pompey lived between 106 BC and 48 BC. He was a distinguished military and political leader of the Roman empire...

The die is cast (05/21/06)
A common phrase comes to mind as I have reflected upon the last day of school for many students and their graduation. That phrase is "The die is cast." Julius Caesar said that upon crossing the Rubicon River to invade Italy in 49. B.C. That river was the boundary between ancient Italy and the province of Cisalpine Gaul...

Red tide and red herrings (05/14/06)
One place I enjoyed frequently visiting while living in Florida was the beach. One of my favorite beaches was the one on Sanibel Island near Fort Myers. Another was Longboat Key near Bradenton. I was doing a bit of daydreaming the other day and found myself on the beach when I remembered a phenomenon that occurs occasionally that is not pleasing. That in turn made me think of the common phrase "red herring."...

Fish and Fear (04/30/06)
Fish My son and I went fishing last Sunday. We trolled around not catching anything until we decided to look at a boat that was for sale and docked in a slip. It was a very nice boat and way out of our price range we learned after calling the number on the sign...

Protecting rights (04/23/06)
I am sure you remember the news when Kathie Lee Gifford's "sweatshops" came to light. She was raked across the coals. Of course, Gifford and husband, Frank, denied knowledge of the sweatshops and promised to help end labor abuse in the apparel industry...

About this, no differences (04/16/06)
There is a difference between a legal immigrant and an illegal immigrant. About this surely we all agree. Obviously, every politician who sees a certain vantage point to a particular opinion about the subject of illegal immigration has jumped on one band wagon or another. In all the fuss, however, we are apparently asking the wrong question, or questions...

Amazing stories, amazing folks (04/09/06)
Last Sunday night terror struck at the hearts of so many people in the Bootheel. I seldom think about going into the basement because of weather, but that night a phone call from my son sent me there. He was house sitting for a friend who lives south of Kennett out in the country. He called me from his cell phone and described a horrific tornado which he was watching...

Time and money not well spent (04/02/06)
Our state and federal governments, as well as privately funded institutions, continue finding ways of wasting money that should be spent more effectively. In 2005 Governor Matt Blunt appointed a commission called the "2005 Missouri State Government Review Commission." The commission‚s purpose was to perform a comprehensive review of state government to identify opportunities to "restructure, retool, reduce, consolidate, or eliminate state government functions."...

Women's History Month (03/26/06)
1978 is the year I graduated from Southeast Missouri State University. A notable year for me, obviously, but a notable year for another reason also. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women in California [what a long name!] began what they called a "Women's History Week" celebration in 1978. The date was chosen to coincide with International Women's Day in Europe...

Reading for knowledge, for power (03/19/06)
I remember a quote from the movie "Patton," which by the way is one of my favorite movies. George C. Scott played the general in the movie. In one series of scenes, Patton is awakened from sleep one night and informed that recent intelligence indicated that German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel would be moving his troops and tanks to a certain part of Africa via a designated route...

Two parties playing (03/13/06)
One party, led by President Bush, the other led by . . . someone, and both are playing politics. Guess that should not be a surprise to anyone. On the one hand, the president has warned us at every opportunity to be aware that the war on terror is not over and we should diligently guard against its outreach...

Reminiscing (02/24/06)
I've spent some time this week reminiscing. Memories are fascinating, aren't they? Linda Biggs, who is the volunteer coordinator for the Visiting Nurse Association in Kennett, called me because she wanted the VNA's Volunteer of the Month recognized by placing a photo of the volunteer in the newspaper. Little did I know who the January Volunteer of the Month would be...

Where's the decorum? (02/12/06)
Where's the decorum? What ever happened to decorum, to people, particularly people in leadership positions, displaying propriety in manners and conduct? As the old phrase from the old movie says, it's "Gone With the Wind." At least it was at the funeral service of the late Coretta Scott King...

Face the Music (02/03/06)
Have you heard of the board game, "Consequences?" The game, which I have not played, supposedly is designed to inspire children and parents to spend quality time together learning that there are consequences to choices, all choices. As busy as parents are these days -- I not only hate saying that, but I also hate hearing it -- discipline appears to be lacking because parents are tired at the end of the day and simply want to "love" their children...

Bury the hatchet (01/27/06)
Garth Brooks sang a song several years ago that went like this: "Hey, all the neighbors lights came on last night, just like they do every time we have a little fight. It's getting to the point we can't get along, we're always fighting about things that should be dead and gone. ...

Wih a little bit of help from a friend (01/20/06)
I received some interesting information from a friend this week about Moses. Remember Moses? Moses was a Hebrew lawgiver, who was, as the story goes, divinely protected as an infant so that he would live to become the leader of the Hebrew people. Moses is referred to in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptures...

What's to decide (01/13/06)
A couple of weeks ago I referred to one of my pet peeves. Since then I've become amused at the so many things that bug us. I began asking various friends and acquaintances about their pet peeves. Wow! What a litany of complaints. Here are some that interested me the most:...

The Three Rs (01/06/06)
Normally, when one thinks of the "Three Rs" he thinks of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Incidentally, who was the teacher, or person, responsible for calling reading, writing, and arithmetic the Three Rs!? There is another idea one may think of now when thinking of the "Three Rs." That idea is: Responsibility, Rewards, and Respect...

Is the use of 'X-mas' OK or not? (12/30/05)
Don't you become amused at some of the things that bug us -- pet peeves? I've often wondered where the term "pet peeve" came from anyway. I found that the term first appeared in 1911. "Pet" (in the sense of favorite) "peeve" (in the sense of something that annoys you), obviously, refers to those little things that bug us...