It was a title we didn’t want. But also one we didn’t want to give up. Just a little more than 15 months ago, Orlando—my hometown and home to “the happiest place on earth”—also became known as the place where the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history took place. The attack at the Pulse nightclub [...]
We pay taxes for police protection, and we should use it. I’m not trying to be snarky. In fact, every law enforcement officer I’ve ever spoken with about this agrees with me. If you see something that makes you uncomfortable for any reason, call the police and let them check it out. They’d rather do [...]
I confess: I indulge in gossip occasionally. But when I find myself in a conversation where other people are being discussed, I do my best to remember the rule my mother taught me: Never say anything ABOUT someone that you wouldn’t say TO them. It’s a pretty good policy to live by. Remembering it has [...]
I love plants but only the hardiest of them can survive my lack of gardening skills. A couple of recent plant-related incidents made me think we would all be a lot better off if our legislators governed the way I care for my plants. Incident 1: Orchid Cactus - photo by Jerry D Clement [...]
I get a kick out of the graphics about Fridays and Mondays, especially the ones with cute pictures of animals (like the one at the top of this post featuring our Peaches during a bath). But there's an issue related to those images that makes me sad. Assuming you work a Monday-Friday work week, the [...]
I love it when people take the time to add some creativity and humor to life's more routine tasks—especially if the humor wasn't intentional. This post is purely for fun: pictures of signs I've seen in restrooms that made me laugh (or even just smile). The Marietta Museum of History (Marietta, GA) had some [...]
Parents: Take a picture of your kids every morning. Use your cell phone’s camera to snap a picture of your kids every morning. Make it part of your standard getting-ready-for-school routine. If something should happen to your child that day (if your child gets lost, is abducted or is involved in an accident), you have an up-to-date image [...]
How do you handle other people who multitask when they should be focused on you? Years ago, back in the days when cell phones were the size and weight of bricks, an associate of mine suggested going to lunch. After we were seated, she pulled out her phone and placed it on the table. Within [...]
In the interest of full disclosure, I admit: I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I make resolutions all year long—some of them I keep, some I don’t, and some get changed along the way. These tips will help you keep your resolutions, whether you’re making them at New Year’s or any other time during the [...]
It used to raise my blood pressure when I'd hear of groups trying to silence someone with whom they disagreed. That's become so commonplace I barely notice it anymore. But I should -- we all should. Setting aside the issue of our First Amendment (which too many people don't really understand), the freedom to express [...]
