Context matters. Take this simple statement: Nearly 10% of the world’s people live in extreme poverty. This is true. And standing alone, without context, this statement would lead many to think the world has a huge poverty problem. They'd be right. But they'd also be missing a big part of ...
Last year, about this time, I had my heart broken. It was the worst feeling in the world and still hurts to think about. It was as if I couldn’t catch a full breath, as if the front part of my brain, just behind my forehead, wouldn’t ever stop pounding, and as if my heart were being ...
Shortly before school recessed for the summer in 1951, Mrs. Wessler's second grade class at Lincoln Elementary School was taken to Lorin Farr Park in Ogden for an excursion. At that time, the school was located at the northwest corner of 3rd Street and Adams Avenue in a "working class" area ...
God, school teachers, veterans and puppy dogs are among America’s most sacred institutions. Who in their right mind would think to openly criticize any of them? But these four venerable institutions don’t even touch our most sacred cow of all — American business. And why? Probably ...
Despite the emergence of the more contagious and lethal delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, many stubborn people in the U.S. and Utah are guided by their own selfish view of freedom of choice to remain unvaccinated. As I mentioned in my commentary on this issue in the Standard-Examiner on July ...
When I found out that I needed total knee replacement surgery, no one told me that the most important tool for recovery was to have a very spoiled and vocal cat. Luckily, I had two cats — both spoiled, one vocal. Oreo was a dainty little female and she was a terrific nurse. When I came home ...
There is something magical about the start of a new school year. I’m not sure if it is the packs of fresh pens and pencils or the shiny new notebooks, but the collective attitude of people is filled with possibility and new beginnings. You might be heading back to school or starting a new ...
I made a bomb in my kitchen last Saturday. Again. It’s an annual event. I use a thick, solid metal pot with a heavy locking lid, a gauge, a valve, heat, steam and pressure. And it scares me half to death every time I do it. But if I want to bottle the beans, I have to. Some people call it a ...
During my time on the Ogden City Council, I have worked to ensure that community members have equitable opportunities for overall well-being, in important areas like health, education, employment and housing. And throughout my term, I have consistently heard comments regarding high-density ...
When my soon-to-be 85-year-old dad called to say he wanted to buy some cryptocurrency, I knew it was time to write a simple guide for first-time buyers. This guide is a beginner’s "how-to" and includes an explanation of terms used in this often-confusing and volatile space. Whether or not you ...
