Columnists

I have a few long-time friends, but not many. There are a lot of differences in them. Take Joe for instance. He is apt to underestimate the weight of my fish, the distance of a good shot, the length of a turkey beard, that kind of thing. Bill, on the other hand is bad to…

At Social Security we strive to make our services more accessible while maintaining your privacy. We installed new kiosks in most of our local offices to make it easier for you to check in and conduct business with us. The kiosks are private, easy to use without assistance, and provide consistent service to our customers.…

The expression ‘They keep moving the goalpost’ is one that I find myself using – in one variation or another – at least once a week these days. The goalposts, of course, are the standards or measurements by which the rules and boundaries are established in our lives. Moving these goalposts, therefore, means changing the…

As to a date for opening my Big Piney River Nature Center, a mile south of Houston, Missouri. put the date of Saturday, October 26 on your calendar. That day we will begin putting in the first displays and we will have a couple of real attractions. Jerry McCoy, who owns a big outdoor antique…

When it comes to daily aches and pains, it’s not uncommon for our knees to be a main source. And while there can be many different long-term causes of such issues, osteoarthritis often is a reason why, especially as we age. In knee osteoarthritis, the cartilage between knee bones wears down. In a healthy knee,…

My children asked me a question that I was expecting from them—I wasn’t sure when, or how old they would get before I heard it—and I had to offer them a fatherly response to it: ‘If Labor Day is supposed to be a work holiday, why are we doing yard work?’ And it’s a fair…

When the presidential race was wide open, I favored Ron DeSantis, the able governor of the key state of Florida. I liked his youth and energy, his decisive, articulate grasp of the issues, and how he handled his state’s affairs, especially during the COVID episode. Furthermore he would’ve been eligible for two terms in office.…

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde Pumpkin spice. My goodness! For the last month or so all I have seen on Facebook are countdown memes to Pumpkin spice season. Pumpkin spice candles and coffee and hand lotion … OH…

For nearly 90 years, Social Security has provided income protection to millions of retirees, people with disabilities, their dependents, and families who’ve lost a family member who worked and paid Social Security taxes before they died. In addition to paying benefits, we issue millions of Social Security numbers each year, maintain wage records to make…

Before you read this, the dove season will have opened. Dove hunting is fairly easy, and it isn’t high on my list of things to do, but I will do it anyway, because I am a grizzled old veteran outdoor writer and that kind of thing is expected of me. I know you hear young…