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Quite A Find During “Dumpster Diving”

Do you want to know what day of the week your birthday was 20 years ago? I have a little book that will tell you that. Years ago, my sister-in-law and I went “dumpster diving” in a house that was to be taken down. We had permission of the owners to remove anything that we wanted. I lived in a trailer so little that I found was usable. She, on the other hand, had a big house to furnish. She was after structural items. We took down the wainscoting that she hoped to use in her home. She also found a few other things. I rummaged through the bedrooms. I found a cute jacket with about ...

The House Of Representatives Acts

It came late in the day. As a matter of fact, it came just a few hours before midnight. But, last week, the House of Representatives acted...avoiding a federal government shutdown. The last-minute vote wasn’t a total surprise, since tough votes are often not taken until deadlines are nearing. Yet, what made this one especially special is that, as first proposed, it was attacked by incoming President Donald Trump and his new surrogate, Elon Musk. No one knows what will happen with Speaker Mike Johnson when the new Congress convenes. Because of the messy way in which this needed ...

When Empathy Become Toxic

In a courtroom, a young woman couldn’t read what she wrote, so her step-dad did: “To my future husband, … I’m working every day to become the best wife I can be. I’m focusing on God and what He defines as a faithful Christian life... I pray that we continue to glorify the Lord... prioritizing Him in every aspect of our lives, and raise our family… to be God-fearing Christians as well. I pray God is at the center of our relationship… I can’t wait to love you in the best way I know how for the rest of our lives. ... May our relationship last forever, Your future wife, ...

Roots of American Order Is Worth Reading

The year 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Roots of American Order, one of the many outstanding works by 20th century man of letters Dr. Russell Kirk. The Roots of American Order is a book for everyone. It’s for high-school American history pupils. It’s for college students. It’s for graduate and professional students, including law students. And it’s for the common reader. All would benefit from immersing themselves in this masterful treatise that is easy to read, which is part of its genius. It traces the history of Western civilization from ...

Hard Candy Christmas

There is a song called Hard Candy Christmas. I am not sure how many artists recorded this song, but the version that I have was recorded by Dolly Parton. It brings back wonderful memories for me. Grandma received a gift of some hard candy called Plantation Dainties. Some of them had filling while others were plain. I preferred the type that was plain. I remember there were some fish that had a stripe giving it a different flavor. We had them every Christmas after that. We also had ribbon candy. Grandma liked the hard candy because the chocolates did not always agree with her system. ...

In Defense Of The Blue Flame

Sometimes, in the heat of advocating for a cause, things get overstated and distorted. This has been the case where some, alleging that it would improve the environment, have been pushing to stop the use of all natural gas in our state. Just think what that would mean? The largest source of the energy now generating electricity in the state would be cut-off. The cleanest fossil fuel that we have would be shut down. And, if you live in a place like Western New York, you would have to find a new way to heat your home. In Albany, even the Capitol would go cold. This anti-natural gas ...