Despite MSNBC treating Biden's State of the Union address like the royal wedding, you probably didn't watch it. But it doesn't matter because ... I've got the highlights reel!   more

The following is the first excerpt from a memoir by Norma Lee (Lowe) Bird about Lowe's Grocery & Mercantile in Hepler in 1946. It’s a classic look at small town life centered around a grocery store (and pool hall) that was duplicated all through rural Kansas. Norma Lee now lives in Oswego. — J.T.K.  more

You can go to sleep for a year, maybe more. Or cancel your newspaper subscriptions. You may as well terminate your cable service — unless, of course, you want to binge on college basketball. And as for social media blasts, you can live without them.  more

An entrepreneur is a person who organizes and operates a business, generally taking on more risk than average to do so. I believe that learning and practicing entrepreneurship at a young age is key to developing the workforce of tomorrow. more

"One cup of coffee at a time." I often call one of my parents while I drive to work each morning. Usually, my dad will say, "how's your day going so far" and I will frequently say, "I'm one cup of coffee in, so it's good so far." more

A friend of mine who's been having real issues with his marketing program asked me if I could figure out what was going on.  more

We’re six weeks into 2023 and the list of books I want to read grows longer with each shipment that arrives at the library. Here’s a partial listing of new titles available so you can see what you want to read next. Come on in and pick out your new favorite.   more

There was some outrage surrounding the "Unholy" performance of Sam Smith and Kim Petras at the Grammys, which involved Smith dressing up like the devil, against a backdrop of someone's cartoonish idea of hell.  more

It is a ritual. Take your wood and use a marking gauge to mark walls a distance from the end. Then make your marks on the endgrain. Take your dovetail jig and mark slanting lines from the endgrain down to the wall. Then you make your cut.  more

Have you ever dropped a rock into a pool of water? If so, you have seen the effect of the rock hitting the water surface and then the ripples that move out from the center where the rock hit. more

The rising price of eggs has many people thinking about getting a few chickens. If this thought has also crossed your mind here are a few things to consider in your decision-making process.   more

“It's ridiculous for a country to get all worked up about a football game — except the Super Bowl, of course. Now that's important.” — Andy Rooney  more

Watching Kansas legislators debate whether to allow public school employees to carry concealed weapons on school property — a critical need, in my opinion — made me think about Florida’s highly successful Guardian program, and how such a program could work here.  more

The newly announced plan to create “Gorilla Rising,” bringing Pittsburg State University’s Kelce College of Business downtown to Block22, is a major investment and undertaking, but one that is likely to pay off for all of those directly involved, as well as the broader community.  more

Twitter and Facebook acted correctly in restoring Donald Trump’s right to use their platforms. He has not done so yet, mainly because he has contractual obligations to employ Truth Social, the third-rate outlet he created after his exile. more

President Joe Biden's State of the Union address was widely seen as both a traditional speech and as the informal, unstated kickoff to his 2024 reelection campaign. But the most striking thing about a Biden 2024 effort, if in fact there is one, is that it is a race few Americans want him to run.   more

George Floyd, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, and on and on and on — all black people, generally "justice-involved," who resisted the police and ended up dead. Name a civilian killed by cops of any other race that led to international protests, billboards, renamed streets, hashtags, memorials, NBA jerseys, murals, busts, tribute songs or O magazine covers.  more

Two years ago I wrote an opinion piece for the Kansas Reflector in which I argued that the Legislature should be celebrating Kansas public schools, rather than trying to tear them apart through voucher plans.  more

Last week’s excerpt from Frank Jeler Jr.’s memoir described trapping muskrat hereabouts in 1951 –’52. This week he continues his description of the art of trapping near Arma — sharing the benefits (and dangers) of trapping beaver. — J.T.K.  more

When it comes to flavor, say yes to bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Chicken breasts often get a bad rap for their dryness and lack of flavor. Leaving the bones and skin on the breast helps to solve this problem. more