My longtime friend Lisa Ashmore messaged me Sunday night with a question. She noted the recent opening of the new Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Incarceration as well as the National Memorial for Peace and Justice both in Montgomery, Alabama. While exploring the website for these two joined projects -- one marking the horrifying legacy … Continue reading Shame on display (Updated with more details)
Month: April 2018
Throwback Thursday: The story of the Potato Salad Kid
A few weeks ago I ran across an old manila folder containing a collection of columns I wrote for the Jacksonville Daily News more than 20 years ago -- 1997 in fact. Because I still like a few of them, I'll share one or two over the next few weeks. Today I'm offering one first … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: The story of the Potato Salad Kid
A county politician’s education karma; or, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Lashley
I know Bill Lashley. I don't know him well, but I have spoken to him several times over the years. He's always unfailingly polite and often complimentary when I have encountered him. He is engaging, doesn't mind a laugh and is friendly to passersby the times I've watched him at Fourth Fridays in downtown Burlington. … Continue reading A county politician’s education karma; or, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Lashley
Just the facts, adjusted of course for . . .
The subject was billed as "The Rise and Fall of the Fact." And while it sounds like a treatise in current events, in reality it was a brief history of the world. And who better to talk about facts than a law professor who teaches a course at Harvard University called "The History of Evidence." … Continue reading Just the facts, adjusted of course for . . .
The astonishing Bartolo Colon started in Burlington and is still rolling along
Everything old is, well, old again. Make that older. Sunday night I decided to tune into the ESPN Sunday night game. The defending World Series champion Houston Astros were on the schedule. They're an interesting team. Seemed to beat watching the Oklahoma City-Utah NBA playoff game anyway. Turned out it was. The Astros were playing … Continue reading The astonishing Bartolo Colon started in Burlington and is still rolling along
Memories of friend and colleague Mike Wilder still vivid after five years
When Burlington Times-News reporter and friend Mike Wilder was in the final days of his 45 years on earth I began compiling a list of things I would remember about him most. Funny how the little stuff sticks with you. I thought I’d share it again today, the five-year anniversary of his death from cancer … Continue reading Memories of friend and colleague Mike Wilder still vivid after five years
Witnessing the Long Island Medium
A skeptic from birth and a registered contrarian for more than three decades of good and dedicated standing I'm probably the last person most would expect to find at a program that involves a psychic, a medium, a fortune-teller, a tarot-card reader, a palm-reader, a tea-leaf scatterer, a Magic 8-Ball shaker or those who worship … Continue reading Witnessing the Long Island Medium
Spreading the word to an international market
Today it seems the Elon Musk post from last week has run its course. Page views for this site are now back to a sadly normal state -- in the range of 30 to 50 views a day. This return to earth arrives after five straight days of views in excess of 400. Two days … Continue reading Spreading the word to an international market
Can’t you smell that smell? Industrial hog farm practices go to court, finally
I saw an Associated Press story this morning about the start of a federal civil trial involving pork-producing giant Smithfield Foods and folks who unfortunately live near massive industrial livestock operations -- sites labeled quaintly as "farms." This is apparently the first of dozens of lawsuits stemming from neighbors of the facilities where millions of … Continue reading Can’t you smell that smell? Industrial hog farm practices go to court, finally
An Elon Musk joke turns into a bonanza for Elon University
Typically when I see Elon trending on Twitter what I find is a combination of posts about Elon University and Tesla inventor / co-founder and SpaceX designer / founder Elon Musk. And weigh that heavily on the side of Elon Musk. The guy is a newsmaker as well as an innovator and promoter. But the … Continue reading An Elon Musk joke turns into a bonanza for Elon University
Madison's Avenue 