A broad definition of “common knowledge” is information an average, educated person can accept as reliable and accurate without having to verify it. However, what we individually consider “common” is often completely unfamiliar to those outside our individual sphere of experience and understanding. In the workplace, for example, common knowledge[Read More…]
Tag: Editor's Column
Editor’s Column: Outrageous outrage
The digital world has created an outrage economy where there is money to be made … if you can stand the heat. Robert Shrimsley, “Financial Times,” 2015 Call it “poking the bear” or “shaking the jar” or whatever you want to call it, the “outrage economy” is a cheap marketing[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Freedom is responsibility
“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” Thomas Paine Our country’s 247th birthday is upon us, a time for celebration, yes, but also a time for reflection. Thomas Paine’s words are a reminder that the freedom we celebrate on[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: The Participation Trophy
“I shall participate, I shall contribute, and in so doing, I shall be the gainer.” Walter Annenberg Participation trophies, or prizes, have a bad rep. These prizes, awards or accolades are given to everyone who takes part in an event, even if they don’t come in first, second, or third[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Mountains, molehills, gnats and camelsEditor’s Column:
It seems the more comfortable we are the more fixated we become on superficial things. Being comfortable makes us fussy and finicky. When our basic needs are met, we have the time and energy to expend on little things, things that really don’t matter much in the long term. You’d[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Negativity as a default
“What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.” ~ Maya Angelou ‘Tis the season we’ve waited months for, when flowers bloom and trees bud and grass springs back to life[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Cut mom some slack
This Mother’s Day, instead of flowers (or maybe along with flowers) and breakfast in bed (if you don’t do the dishes from making the breakfast, it’s not really a gift), let’s give moms what they really need: a break from chronic expectations of perfection for themselves and their kids. Being[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: The small self
Awesome! Totally awesome! Jeff Spicoli, Fast Times at Ridgemont High In the early 1980s everything and anything good was deemed “awesome!” A product of my generation, I still catch myself saying it, but I have mostly stopped saying “gnarly” and “gag me with a spoon.” Mostly. It turns out a[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Groundhog Day
No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. English proverb It’s Groundhog Day. Yeah, so what? We all know we’re getting a minimum of six more weeks of winter, no matter what the top-hatted keepers of the many-times-removed ancestor of Pennsylvania’s most famous large rodent have to[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: News Literacy Week Jan. 23-27
Jan. 23-27 has been proclaimed News Literacy Week. What is news literacy? The News Literacy Project defines it as “the ability to determine the credibility of news and other information and to recognize the standards of fact-based journalism to know what to trust, share and act on.” News literacy is[Read More…]
Family news
First, some news from our family to yours. We’re thrilled to announce that Lucas and Haley Turner have added a new baby to the family. Emmy Rose arrived Monday evening. All is well and we are grateful. Also, Caitlin Walker will be out for a few weeks for a necessary[Read More…]