In the 80s, Ronald Reagan responded to bad economic times with a tax cut. Dubbed “trickle down economics,” it masterfully did the trick, with the economy smartly rebounding, ushering in a period of prolonged economic prosperity. An alternate strategy for economic recovery is for the government to spend its way out of it—even if it […]
There are more signs that spring is arriving in Michigan—and I couldn’t be more excited. Over the weekend, I noticed an influx of birds—the kind not normally visibly present in the winter. That is the most encouraging development. Even more so is that this morning, I glimpsed a pair of robins, the first I have seen […]
Just two days ago, the sunrise temperature was 1 degree F; I was beginning to wonder if spring would ever get here. (According to the calendar, spring begins in about two weeks, on March 20). Although we have been intermittently flirting with nicer weather, it quickly turns out to be nothing more than a tease. We […]
In the northern clime of Michigan, the ideal time to trim deciduous trees (that is, non-evergreens) is in their dormant state. That means winter. Unfortunately, this winter was colder than most and the snow was deeper. So whenever I considered trimming a few branches, it was either frigidly cold or there was more than a foot […]
Here are my favorite comedies. Sometimes the humor is subtle; other times I smile; and occasionally I laugh till there are tears in my eyes and my stomach hurts. How many of these would make your list?
The recent issue of Sojourners magazine cited some sobering facts about the state of the prison system in the United States: 7.4 million people were under the control of the US criminal justice system in 2007. I’m not exactly sure what is meant by “under control,” but that is over 2 percent of the population, […]
When people call me during the winter months, they often ask about the weather. These queries are usually about the snowfall, but sometimes, temperature. I suspect that these questioners are hoping that my winter weather is worse than theirs—and most of the time, it is. Living east of Lake Michigan, our weather is greatly influenced […]
Last fall, the USPS notified me that my once acceptably positioned mailbox was no longer acceptable. It needed to be moved closer to the road so that I could reliably receive mail during the snowy winter months. I determined that it was in my best interest to acquiesce to their “request” and reposition my mailbox […]
In the past, I have blogged about my efforts to stop unwanted newspapers and magazines from showing up uninvited in my mailbox. This task has been quite successful and I have found that most publishers make it easy to be removed from their mailing lists (though often one or two mailings are already being worked […]
(Back row: Laura & Chris, Dan & Kelli, Front Row: Candy & Peter) This year our Christmas celebrations began last Saturday with one side of the family, continued Christmas Eve with the other side, and concluded Christmas morning with our kids. By 10 a.m., both couples had departed for more family celebrations of their own—but […]