Category: General
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The Importance of Preserving St. Patrick’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day is when we laud the memory of a great saint from 1600 years ago: The man who escaped slavery in Ireland yet returned there to establish monasteries, churches, and schools for the purpose of bringing the message of Christ to the land. (Apparently, he also drove all the snakes away, which is…
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Daylight “Savings” Solved
People have always made a stink about those clock changes when going on and off Daylight Saving Time. In fact, it’s been a bit of an issue ever since the monkey business started in 1918. Complaints vary: Some claim to feel out of sorts for a whole week (as if it was forced continental jetlag),…
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May I Get Some Help Here?
Store associates and fast-food workers are now pulling down $14-plus per hour. During most of my previous career as a private-school teacher, my salary provided around $11/hour based on a 40-hour week, so yeah, more like $7.50/hour considering at-home prep and grading. Two plusses, though: 1) After I earned my M.S. in Science Education, the…
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Reading Between the Caution Sign Lines
Posted warnings may be a nice courtesy, or simply someone trying to cover their butt in case of an incident. With limited room for words on such signage, one might consider what text has been left out. “Watch Your Step” is common. Presumably, we are already responsible to watch our steps. But this cautionary post…
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Weird Asks
During college I had a work-study job as a stage manager for the CU College of Music. When outside performers came in, I took care of them in the “green room.” Esteemed artists had requests, such as a six pack of Fresca with a plate of sliced limes. Occasionally, it became one of those very-specific…
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Reverse Life Hacks
Your Guide to Problematic, Inefficient LivingSo, you have a free Saturday to knock things out. Or perhaps it’s Monday and you are in the work-from-home crowd. Either way, there is much to be done in your digs. Allow me to help: Don’t check your calendar. Or check it but look at the wrong day and go from there. Put on…
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Birthday Musings
Two days ago, I completed my 55th trip around the Sun, with a little help from the Earth doing its orbit thing. My wife Carrie remembers her dad reaching 55, announcing “I am now the speed limit!” I mentioned this to my sister, who remembered our dad saying something similar. So that’s been an easy…
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Talk of Stronger Oversight in the Cornhole World
Judges ruled that the violations were unintentional, resuming the cornhole competition with its $15,000 cash prize after a one-hour delay. I might have questioned Devon Harbaugh’s complaint that rival opponents Lopez and Richards’ bags were too small, but ESPN’s cornhole color commentator agreed, “anticipating some drama.” And I would have been surprised by Lopez and…
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Punishing a Cross-Country Runner
“Our sport is your sport’s punishment” has been boasted on many a cross-country teams’ shirts—printed on the warm-up tee (only making a meaningful statement when worn in the halls). It’s essentially true, though, as football coaches bark out “Gotta catch those, kid—take a lap!” and in basketball, “Hands up on D—give me a ladder!” So,…