Tag: Editor’s Column

The ‘scrubbing bubbles’ of democracy

If you are of a certain age, you’ll remember the “scrubbing bubbles” TV commercial, with the bubble-shaped scrub brushes that worked magic on nasty bathroom grime. If you don’t remember it, here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh0OdgjOdDk. (Gotta love YouTube.) Also, if you are of a certain age, you remember being thoroughly[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: Bridging the divide

There’s a lot of discussion underway about the rural/urban divide. It’s a real problem — politically, socially, economically, and culturally — but rare are the discussions about possible solutions. Here are a few ideas: 1) One of the best ways to understand a different culture or lifestyle is through immersion.[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: Progress, not perfection

Anyone else fall into some pandemic-inspired bad habits you’re now trying to change? Whether it’s snacking all day while working from home or skipping exercise because you can’t get to the gym or digging yourself into debt with online shopping or spending entirely too many hours scrolling social media, you[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: Inspiration

Inspiration comes in many different forms. It’s inspiring to see people conquer obstacles, rise above adversity, and find success. Expressions of justice, honesty, courage, humility, generosity, integrity, and faith can, and should, inspire us to take the necessary steps for positive change. Most of us hate change so much we[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: April Fools

A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool. ~ William Shakespeare We’ve been awaiting the opportunity to publish a satire edition on April Fool’s Day for quite some time, and had all sorts of ideas rolling around. As with most fun[Read More…]

EDITOR’S COLUMN: Three Branches

Our founding fathers established three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. In a simplistic explanation, the legislative branch — the representatives elected by the people — determine laws that need to be made for the best and highest good of their constituents. The executive branch then has the power[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: Groupishness

In his book “The Righteous Mind,” moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt writes about “groupishiness,” the innate tendency of humans to lump themselves together based on likes or dislikes, similarities in culture or appearance, hobbies and habits, and more. It’s a different way of saying, “birds of a feather flock together.” It’s[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: Fool’s Spring

These deceptive days of blue skies and warm temperatures are likely — if we’re lucky — to be followed by the usual March and April snowstorms, but a brief respite from snow and cold is welcome this time of year. I’m going to take up ink and paper this week[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: A Sad Milestone

The United States marked a sad milestone this week: 500,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19. You can argue about the numbers. You can insist that the doctors who are treating those patients are fudging the numbers for nefarious reasons. You can say most of those people would have died anyway because[Read More…]

Rough-drafting history is slow going

Local newspapers are often referred to as the “rough draft of history.” This last year has been an interesting one to scribble about. In the decades to come, as science and reason and history come together and find agreement with legitimate data that emerges, it will be interesting to see[Read More…]

Editor’s Column: The Best Laid Schemes

Those of Scottish heritage may know that last Monday, Jan. 25, was Burns Night, the celebration of 18th century Scottish poet and bard Robert Burns, whose most well-known ode is “Auld Lang Syne.” Burns also wrote a poem in 1785 titled “To a Mouse” after he accidently upended a field[Read More…]