hancock
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Gay People Are Part Of Every Family
I was reminded this week of a truism. Gay people are a part of every family. One of the chief bullies from my high school years has a gay brother in a long-term committed relationship with his partner. Good for the brother. That fact intersects with my life, and to be honest, I hope that… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “That Neighborhood Feel” Reprint From 7/8/09
It was a pleasant sound that drifted across the warm air. A group of about ten women from a writers’ group had gathered on a neighbor’s back patio to talk about their creative projects and offer each other feedback. (Our neighbor is sending out her first children’s book to publishers.) Their light‑hearted banter and gentle… Continue reading
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Walter Cronkite Is Smiling With Artemis II Astronauts, “Oh, Boy”
Did you feel like a little kid at some point on Monday as the images from Artemis II were sent back to Earth and the four astronauts on board traveled further and deeper into space than anyone has ever done? Watching the news about this event, my mind raced back to the man who made… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah And A White Pine, Too” 3/30/26
There are those days in life when you must stop and slow down, recognizing that what is playing out is truly wonderful. Not because you are on vacation or won the lottery. As the day is put into perspective, all the events are rather ordinary. Yet putting them together, and taking nothing for granted, they… Continue reading
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Dean Richards: A Chicago Voice We Counted On
On this blustery Saturday, when a heavy coat is needed when walking outside, I sit at my desk to write what I hope will be a warm column about Dean Richards. This is one of those pieces that are from a list of topics needing a comment or two, but get left behind, given the… Continue reading
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Wisconsin-Born Legendary “Voice Of Agriculture”, Orion Samuelson, Dies At 91
Legendary WGN Radio farm broadcaster Orion Samuelson passed away Monday at the age of 91. Known as the “Voice of Agriculture,” his life is most worthy of recalling. Samuelson was born on a dairy farm in Ontario, Wisconsin, where a leg disease left him for a time nearly crippled as a teenager. He would take classes for six… Continue reading
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Redgranite Library Funding Shortage Rightly Rankles Locals
Concerns over budget cuts at the Redgranite Library in Waushara County have created much conversation and disgust in recent weeks, Library board members voiced their concerns over the unexplained and deep $11,000 cut, nearly 21% of last year’s funding amount. It need not be explained to my readers that the library is an essential resource… Continue reading
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One Man Really Harmed The Washington Post
Is Richard Nixon’s revenge finally being realized at The Washington Post? Politicos can debate that, but one thing seems beyond dispute: Jeff Bezos has been the worst thing to happen to that once‑grand newspaper. The decline has become so stark that Michael Calderone now writes that Bezos has gone “from Washington Post savior to executioner.”… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: Heartstopper And Hancock 1/23/26
Last fall, at Barnes & Noble, thanks to a large display near an entrance to the bookstore, I first became aware of Alice Oseman, and the Heartstopper series. Several books of her work were prominently displayed, and I spent a few minutes reading a bit and exploring the overall tone and mission of them. Heartstopper… Continue reading
Caffeinated Politics 