The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Haunted by Marley’s Ghost?

You know, I’ve always been annoyed by people who publicly mourn their pets. It strikes me as . . . decadent would probably be the word, as I’m mindful of the ancient Roman critics who pointed out how the decadence of imperial Rome was marked by women preferring pets to children. So I’ve never been […]

Thanksgiving in Georgia

We spent Thursday on the road, down I-81 and then went through the Smoky Mountains on I-26 before heading south into north Georgia, near the site of America’s first gold rush, to spend the holiday weekend with all of our kids and grandchildren — that’s six kids, one son-in-law, three daughters-in-law, one girlfriend, and five […]

Hit My Mother-in-Law’s Tip Jar?

Of all the tip-jar rattles I’ve ever done, this is the most special: My wife’s mother, now 80 and having recently undergone knee replacement surgery, will be doing a 5K Saturday — the Walk for Life to benefit Richland Pregnancy Services, a pro-life ministry in Mansfield, Ohio. CLICK HERE TO DONATE My mother-in-law is a […]

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

During the course of the Best Ranger competition at Fort Benning, the teams ran or marched 62 miles in less than 60 hours while completing a series of tasks — obstacle courses, weapons ranges, etc. That’s basically back-to-back marathons, with a couple of 10Ks added on. The brigade commander called it “the Super Bowl of […]

The Wedding Was Lovely

I’d love to show you photos of the wedding, but the couple asked that no one post pictures — our crappy cellphone photos — and instead wait until the professional photographer’s work was available. So I’ll have to make do with words to describe the lovely ceremony in the ornate lobby of the Morris Performing […]

Celebrate the Joyous Occasion of the Return of the Big Yellow Button

  Occasionally, when the need arises to rattle the tip jar, I supersize the PayPal contribution button, and today is such an occasion. My family and I will be traveling today to a Midwestern state where our youngest son will be marrying his beloved Jasmine. Having a wedding in the middle of a pandemic requires […]

Kirby’s Birds

  My brother Kirby has found a way to make the COVID-19 lockdown amusing. He’s put up bird feeders behind our house and, as spring brings a return of our migratory feathered friends, he captures them in photos. You can click on any photo to see it full-size. Above, we see the brilliant plumage of […]

My Celebrity Brother-in-Law

    You probably never heard of Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works, which has occupied the same building in the same small Ohio town for more than 140 years. My wife’s brother Rex has worked there as a coppersmith for about 30 years. You can see Rex at work in this episode of Our Ohio, a […]

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