We have an old girl. Barb rescues “Doodles” (a dog breed of just about anything crossed with a poodle). They are beautiful, sweet creatures. She has gotten them from some pretty horrible conditions, including… Read More
Recently, Tesla founder and often outspoken entrepreneur, Elon Musk ended a Tweet with “Who wrote the software running in your head?” The analogy is prescient and the implications lead to a number of fundamental… Read More
I recently penned a piece about what it means to “grow up.” It never really got to a fundamental question of life, one that starts early on and is likely never loses its relevance.… Read More
The world seems to be “going to Hell in a handbasket,” a phrase my mom would occasionally use to describe the steady slide into chaos (or worse). The laws of thermodynamics apply: Life moves… Read More
Lieutenant Clark “never hesitates to offer well-reasoned, if sometimes unpopular views.” Those words adorned the comment block of my first Officer Efficiency Report. This column offers both; a “well-reasoned” argument but some in this… Read More
“Everyone wants things to be different, but no one wants anything to change.” That could be the mantra of our region. Yet changes, in technology, culture, business activity, as a result of the Pandemic… Read More
It pains me to watch us flog ourselves like some medieval flagellants. Certainly, our region is far from perfect; we suffer from many of the same ills as other rural areas. Yet, despite significant… Read More
“May you live in interesting times.” Today seems the epitome of this Chinese curse. Ours is the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world we live in is partially like the old days and… Read More
Regardless of the name (Tri-Cities, Upper East Tennessee or Appalachian Highlands), we live or die as one region. However, we have been unable to formulate a coherent story that incorporates and mutually benefits the… Read More
I grew of age (politically speaking) in the Reagan era. I watched the economic and social malaise of the 1970s recede before a message of hope and optimism. A renewed American spirit took hold.… Read More
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