Month: January 2017

Books, Sports

Lefty, Scooter, and Hankus Pankus: Three Baseball Legends

Mark Richardson — My late fall/early winter reading has recently focused on classic fiction, Tolstoy and Mann, but I have found time to squeeze in three baseball biographies, and all three are worthy of note. Biographies have always been at the forefront of the game’s literature, but in recent years there seems to have been an explosion of life stories of the diamond’s greats. This … Continue reading Lefty, Scooter, and Hankus Pankus: Three Baseball Legends

Mark Richardson13 Comments
Politics and Economics

How Much Is Enough?

Bob Bates — Most thinking humans for a long time have known an effective societal problem-solving process: (1) identify needs, (2) identify ways these can be met, (3) apply analysis, prioritizing, and strategic planning to deliver solutions, (4) coordinate necessary labor, equipment, and distribution operations to address the problems, and (5) continue follow-up procedures to work out any bugs and improve each part of the … Continue reading How Much Is Enough?

Bob Bates3 Comments
Creative Nonfiction, History

Witnessing the End of a Family Farm: Twenty-Five Ways to Say Goodbye

Richard Quinney — I am a witness to the ending of a family farm in Wisconsin. This is the farm that was started in 1868 by my great-grandparents and farmed by the generations that followed. My brother and I inherited the farm and tried to keep its 160 acres as a working farm, even as we moved to other places and pursued other ways of … Continue reading Witnessing the End of a Family Farm: Twenty-Five Ways to Say Goodbye

richardquinney2 Comments
Culture and Society

My Day on Jury Duty for a Death Penalty Case

Jeff Berger — Last October I was called to jury duty. When the judge announced what the case was about, I felt a chill go down my spine. It was a well-known kidnapping/murder case, and the prosecution was going for the death penalty. Coincidentally, there was a California state proposition on the ballot of the November 2016 election that was to occur 3 weeks later. … Continue reading My Day on Jury Duty for a Death Penalty Case

Jeff Berger4 Comments
Culture and Society

The Dylann Roof Trial: First-Hand Reflections and Assessment

Dave Gillespie — The verdict came in around mid-afternoon Thursday, December 15, just a couple of hours after the lawyers completed their closing statements and the judge gave his charge to the jury. U.S. v. Dylann Storm Roof: Guilty on all charges. Given the complexity of the indictment—33 counts, many of them alleging hate crimes—the brief time it took was remarkable. But the verdict itself was anything but surprising. … Continue reading The Dylann Roof Trial: First-Hand Reflections and Assessment

Dave Gillespie3 Comments