The Electoral College: Has the time come to end it?

October 26, 2024

More than 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers created a special system for electing presidents, one that aimed to distribute power evenly among the states. They created the Electoral College, under which electors meet after the election to officially cast votes for each state. Whoever wins a majority in each state wins all of its electors. It makes the presidential race a contest in each individual state. It doesn’t matter if someone wins with 50.1 percent or by a wide margin. The result is still the same. For many years the Electoral College has raised questions about fairness. ...

The pumpkin thief

October 22, 2024

Halloween is a bizarre holiday. While our kids are growing up we constantly warn them about taking candy from strangers. And what do we do on Halloween? We encourage them to shake down strangers for candy! We want our children to be themselves. But on Halloween, they are pretty much required to be anyone other than themselves. No wonder today’s youth have such a hard time figuring out their identities. Most Halloween costumes were homemade when I was a kid. You could don some of Dad’s old work clothes, smear some grime on your face and go trick-or-treating as a hobo. Or ...

Biden: an example of America’s trend toward vital aging

October 19, 2024

The 2024 political season is in full swing, as candidates do everything within their power to get out the vote and to make every vote count. I might have to go to the store for microwave popcorn so that I can pop some and watch the election returns. It doesn’t sound like we’ll know who’s President until at least the next day, but hopefully there will be a good indication by midnight. As the candidates scramble, President Biden is simply going about his business when it comes to running the country for three more months. He unfortunately didn’t quit the race on his own ...

Thanks for all the cards

October 15, 2024

We have been dealing with a plethora of cards at our house recently. One type of card is the kind that comes with a layer of sticky glue applied to its top side. They are used to catch mice and the occasional careless stocking. If you live in the country, it’s inevitable that mice will invade your domicile at this time of year. They do so without so much as a “captain may I?” or “by your leave.” Their attitude seems to be, “Nice place you got here! Good and warm and plenty of food. I think I and a few dozen of my closest pals will move in for the winter. ...

Under pressure

October 8, 2024

We all have pressure in our lives. Too much pressure can be disastrous, but the same can be said about too little. I have a family member who has been experiencing pressure problems for the past several years. OK, so she technically isn’t an actual family member or even a human being. But she feels like family to me. Dad purchased our family’s 1947 John Deere “A” tractor when I was a little kid. I couldn’t wait until I was deemed responsible enough to take the reins of our farm’s mightiest steed. I was the proudest farm boy in the world when that day finally came. ...

Put a mammogram on your October to-do list

October 5, 2024

One in eight women will face breast cancer during their lifetime. Yet life-saving early detection methods, like mammograms, can help catch this common cancer when it’s most treatable. Health care professionals close to home can help women ensure that breast cancer is detected and treated in its earliest stages. An annual mammogram for all women who are 40 or older is among the best methods to stop this disease. Younger women who are at high risk for breast cancer may qualify for earlier screenings. Consider these facts about breast cancer, according to the American Cancer ...