Panicked buying and hoarding. A crisis looming. Government and corporate action. Quiet work behind the scenes to solve the problem. Massive disbelief about the severity of the crisis. Pointing of fingers toward those creating mass hysteria. I’m talking, of course, about the millennium, or Ye…
Well, we have a new challenge, don’t we?
The novel coronavirus, responsible for the rise of COVID-19 cases in China, Italy and right here in Utah, gives me a perfect opportunity to talk about exponential growth.
The caller dialed 211. He was trying to find some legal assistance. It turns out that he needed much more. In the initial demographic questions to the caller, the 211 specialist discovered he was a veteran. So she transferred his call to a veterans specialist, who himself had served in the Marines.
I recently sorted through a shelf of three-ring binders filled with four years of college work, tossing most of those papers into a large black garbage bag. Assignments from double majors of communications and English produced hundreds of papers that were once so critical, and now ... just t…
As a graduate of the Utah School System, I recall taking Utah history in seventh grade. In this class, we learned about the Mormon Trail, the Great Salt Lake and Peter Skene Ogden — a trapper with the Hudson Bay Co. We also learned about all 29 counties, our state flower the sego lily and th…
I am an American “success story” that almost wasn’t. While raised in a wonderful family that did its best to shield me from harm, I became an unfortunate statistic of early childhood trauma. The trauma itself is not my focus here, but it did have a significant impact that changed my life. My…
The final entry in my father’s final journal, written in my mother’s handwriting, shared how glad he was to come home that day. He said it was “a whole lot quieter here” and he could “catch up on seven winks of sleep.” Too weak to hold the pen himself, Dad also had Mom write, “It was nice to…
I’m excited to announce that NASA has selected not one, but two possible missions to Venus as part of its studies for the next generation of robotic space probes.
In some position or another, I have been involved in public service for over 50 years. Politics fascinates me. I’ve hungered for political news and studied in depth the pros and cons of major issues. Recently, however, during the impeachment hearings I’ve been sickened by the petty put-downs…
Whoa. Let’s slow down. Take a chill pill. Breathe deeply.
I love Black History month because it allows so many conversations to come to the surface. These are conversations that happen far too infrequently in my book, so I celebrate them with extra joy when they do. For example, while the focus of this month is on voting (something I am also passio…
Yesterday I looked down at my dashboard and suddenly realized I might have to go fill up — in a few months. I’ve been driving a Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid since the summer, and I’ve yet to put in any gasoline. Of course, that fill-up time will arrive. Less obvious? When an electric vehicle (E…
Does peace exist anymore? Don’t most of us want at least one moment in each day when we can pause, detach from the weight of everything pressing in on us, ponder something quiet, and then pull ourselves back together? But the chaotic clamor of this world seems determined to snatch any chance…
The Washington Post’s exclusive story on David Nielsen’s whistleblower complaint to the IRS with respect to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “saving its excess surplus donations instead of using them for charitable works” deserves a more technical explanation of the law surrou…
The New Year started once again, as it always does, with two significant astronomical events.
Never underestimate the power of music. Even accordion music.
Happy New Year! Maybe I’m a few days late, but I come bearing 12 gifts of things you can do to build understanding in the new year!
A friend of mine was recently released from prison. It’s been a joy to watch him get out and jump back into society. I kind of got to relive the excitement of what it was like for me.
A good resolution for 2020 and beyond would be to consistently put on paper what’s in our heads. It helps us clarify and enhance thoughts in so many ways.
Tomorrow is New Year’s Day, 2020. It’s the moment we look around for some inspiring, motivating, or compelling insight to help launch our “new beginning.”
Recently, Ogden City voted to pursue HB 411, a commitment to carbon-neutral production of electricity for the city in 10 years. I’m encouraged by the vote but even more by the energy and dedication of the youth who lobbied for HB 411. We need to harness their energy to ensure the commitment …
Politicians’ rhetoric suggests that they are interested in fairness and efficiency in economic policies that are good for the society as a whole. However, they end up implementing economic policies that might please a selective group of voters or sectors. The book “Advice and Dissent” by Pro…
As a physicist, it seems obvious to me that the fundamental laws of nature are an important foundation to any technological society.
This is the giving season. This is the time when we consider the gifts we’ll give to others, especially to our children.
“Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.”
On Sept. 19, I gave the keynote at the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) meeting. With approximately 250 high school and district administrators in attendance, I talked about how to build inclusivity and community in an education-based sports environment.
It’s the season’s universal conversation starter: “So, what do you want for Christmas?”
People seem increasingly obsessed with generational descriptors. Are you a boomer or a millennial? Are you Gen Z or Gen X?
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There’s all the cooking and eating good food and so many opportunities for scientific exploration.
At a recent local grade school’s Veterans Day celebration, I watched grandkids hold up American flags with squiggly red lines on a white sheet of paper and their blue handprint for the field of stars while they enthusiastically sang “God Bless America!” I realized, yes, God has, indeed, bles…
They say it’s always darkest before the dawn. Or, right before it goes pitch black.
In last week’s general election rejection of Weber County’s Proposition 3 (the question of studying alternative forms of county government), there were two implicit messages. One was the voters’ sound approval of the compatibility and teamwork of the three current county commissioners. The s…
Anybody else think this whole tribalism thing is getting a little out of hand?
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the chill in the air, the smell of pumpkin (pie, latte, cookies) and enjoy spending extra time with people I care about. I love knowing my family table will include people I am related to, as well as those who have become family by…
This column sounds like a public service announcement. It’s coming to you from a woman who just crawled out of Flu-ville, back to the land of the living (barely) with shaky legs, unsteady mind and bad memories — but standing upright. Not far from the bathroom.
One of the most important roles I see myself fulfilling as a weekly columnist for the local newspaper is attempting to bridge the gap between two disparate groups that often find themselves at odds here in the Beehive State.
The 50th anniversary of the first communication on what essentially would become the internet occurred this week, Oct. 29, 1969. The University of Utah was one of the four locations in that original network. It was enthusiastic, forward-thinking research and development that led to the inter…
On Oct, 22, 2018, a University of Utah student was murdered on campus.
I’m generally not a fan of the Nobel Prize. Mostly because I feel it perpetuates the myth of “genius” and discredits the hard work of a bunch of people all working together to accomplish something great.
My husband and I recently took an extraordinary journey to Southern Utah. True, that part of the state is already magical in a thousand ways. But it wasn’t the red rocks or blue skies or wildlife that made the excursion remarkable. It was the people we met along the way.
You thought the War on Christmas was bad? It’s got nothing on the skirmishes going on over this next holiday coming up.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president at age 69. At that time, Reagan was the oldest person to be elected president. During the campaign, some made an issue of Reagan’s age. The concern over Reagan’s age was warranted. Before he left office, he was showing obvious signs of dementia an…
Last Tuesday morning, just before the alarm went off, I suddenly had a random thought that quite literally woke me from a sound sleep.
“Shall a study committee be appointed to consider and possibly recommend a change in Weber County’s form of government?”
When we hear the words, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” we know Andy Williams’ cheerful voice is singing about Christmas. Only he shouldn’t. Because the most wonderful time of the year is right now — fall time.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I would rather do 12 months in prison than six months in jail and it’s not even close.
Talk about your #fakenews …
If you open a newspaper or turn on the television news, there is a good chance that you will hear someone use the word socialism. In some cases, Bernie Sanders describes himself as a democratic socialist. In other cases, the term is used simply to smear a person or program. If a Republican c…
In the last couple of months, my wife and I have been re-watching episodes of “The West Wing” on Netflix. And about every other episode, one of us invariably ends up remarking wistfully, “Why can’t Donald Trump be more like Jed Bartlet?”
Stereotypes. Our brains are hardwired to jump to conclusions about situations and people based on our prior experience, regardless of how genuinely applicable that experience is. It’s a survival trait that’s helped our species avoid danger by assuming that the rustling of leaves in the woods…
Workers at Coleman Knitting Mills, an Ogden company that usually manufactures cheerleading uniforms, lettermen’s jackets, and school sweaters, has shifted gears to make surgical masks and medical gowns to answer huge demands for the supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
