Columns

by Jim Whitehouse I was moving into our new home, bit by bit, as my beloved wife Marsha was closing out our old house, 45 miles away. So far, my furniture consisted of an inflatable mattress, a lawn chair, a…

George Carlin was a comedian, who at times was someone you wouldn’t want to take your mother to see. Other times he made a lot of sense. Here are some of his more famous quotes:

Our brief un-Christmassy weather seems to be over now. With the arrival of the New Year, temperatures have dropped back to the 20s (and teens) and snow is gently falling outside.It’s pretty. I just wish it wouldn’t fall on the…

What is the opposite of femininity? What is the opposite of management? What is the opposite of clergy? What is the opposite of wife? What is the opposite of white? What is the opposite of democrat? How many of us…

By Scott SullivanEditorStarlight by ProxyHow many photons have there been in the history of the universe? 4,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, say astrophysicists. More or less.Since we don’t know when — or even if — time started, nor where/if the universe ends, this could…

According to physicians, therapists, pollsters and others, we are sadder than in the past. We smile less and feel gloomier, leaving many without much hope or enthusiasm for the future.In fact, about one in four, or some two billion people,…

In the midst of all the drama many of us experience I thought I’d write about an unusual story, actually better words would be strange and bizarre, that comes from the Ozarks in Missouri.Here’s the setup:A man wanted to cash…

A very Happy New Year to all! I’m finally scheduled for my open-heart surgery on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 7:30 a.m. This means that for the rest of this month, my columns will include more items from my files of…

Those of us who are Christian have an obligation to share the Christian way of living with others. Easier said than done, or is it? Let me make some suggestions. The first is to faithfully live the Christian faith yourself.…

The new year is here and already the middle of January is only a few days away – next Wednesday actually.We’ve had some bone chilling cold, a little snow and wind to greet it, along with the local TV weatherman’s…

By Scott SullivanEditorMovingIt was time to downsize. Add keepsakes from my 69 years, my parents, their parents, my wife and daughter … It is daunting deciding what stays, what goes.Each photo and handwritten note was a talisman. I dwelt on…

There has been a new push in Congress to out right ban or heavily regulate TikTok. I’m neither a user nor am I fan of social media in general. However, to ban or heavily regulate the most popular social media…

What was once known as suicide has been renamed by some “Assisted dying.” Both terms make me uncomfortable.Western culture has long abhorred suicide. The ancient Romans considered it a serious offense against the person, their family and the empire. If…

by Jim Whitehouse My 4 grandchildren live in southern Florida. The first time my oldest, Ruby, visited us in Michigan in the winter, soon after she had learned to talk, she climbed out of the car in the driveway, felt…

This column is special. It is my last column of the year and hopefully, the last column filled with funny but true comments. If everything works out the way I want it to, I should be able to get Out…

Maybe DOGE has a good thing going. DOGE, the acronym for Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has been charged with eliminating waste and inefficiency at the federal government level.I have been a…

After Mother Nature briefly flirted with Spring temperatures last weekend, with temperatures in the 50s for a couple of days and in the 40s at the start of the week, the snow is now all gone and the thermometer is…

By Scott SullivanEditorMaking WayFor Christmas my head exploded. An abscess between my left eye and brain threatened both and hurt like hell till they gave me morphine. Then I could even endure Ohio State winning in football as much as…

Maybe DOGE has a good thing going. DOGE, the acronym for Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has been charged with eliminating waste and inefficiency at the federal government level.I have been a…

‘Twas a week before Christmas and all the preparations were done. Well, almost.The Nativity creche Pat received as a child is in place on the fireplace mantle. It is always the first decoration to go up and the last to…