Juneteenth is now circled on everybody’s calendar — another day off from work! Freedom! Of course, that’s not the kind of freedom we’re celebrating. It’s the emancipation of American slaves as part of the Civil War struggle in our Nation. The Union victory meant a radical change for most Americans, but especially those of African […]
Most new parents say No. According to on-line baby-name sites, Ichabod was the 54,629th most popular baby name in the USA in 2018, with the estimated number listed at zero. One reason given is that it just sounds funny. On the school playground, a kid with this name is for sure going to be called […]
Somebody left this cool jar of mixed nuts by the coffee machine outside of my office. Thanks to them, one of my worst life choices was exposed: I always pick out the cashews. I mean, they’re the only nut species worth chewing on, aren’t they? I shared this with some of my friends, and most […]
This is my car. It was made in 2003, and it has over 130,000 miles on it. I inherited it a few years ago from my granddaughter, since I always get to drive the oldest and junkiest car in our extended family. It’s served me well never needing any major repairs, so I intend to […]
The Good Samaritan is one of the most memorable parables told by Jesus (Luke 10:25-37). It’s the story of a man who had been brutally beaten by thieves and left for dead along a roadside. Two “good people,” a Priest and a Levite, avoided walking close to his battered body so they wouldn’t have to […]
A couple of months ago, I twisted my ankle, and it hurt a lot. I knew enough to sit in my reclining chair with my leg elevated, but there was still a lot of pain. I popped an Ibuprofen pill, but that would take a while to kick in. I thought that, in the meantime, […]
The above YouTube video popped up on my Facebook timeline, and I absent-mindedly clicked on it. This innocent act led me on a fascinating adventure. Take a few minutes to listen to the French Family Singers’ version of the 1968 Johnny Cash hit “Daddy Sang Bass.” The first thing I noticed was the obvious joy […]
Old Zeke finally struck it rich. The California Gold Rush began in 1849. The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill led to one of the most rapid migrations in American history over the next few years. Eureka became the name of an early mountain mining town that only existed for a few years, but it […]
I’ve always loved animals — in their place. That’s in the wild. I’ve never gotten attached to a pet, and I’ve never understood pet-lovers.* Sometimes I’ve envied them, because they seem to have discovered a kind of intimate companionship I’ve never known. I guess I’ve diverted all of that to my wife. Poor Judy. Recently, I […]
(This is the Ironing Competition, part of the 1954 Mrs. America Contest.) COMPLEMENTARIANISM: Learn a Big Word; Impress Your Friends. That word didn’t exist until the late 1980s, when a group of (male) Christian theologians created it to put women in their place. That’s right, they actually created the word. Here’s the story. For centuries, […]