Five political questions for 2021

After getting many political predictions wrong in 2016 – including, but not limited to, the results of the presidential election – I threw my long-cherished crystal ball out and started building a new one. Figuratively speaking, of course.

Business Card Directory was lost in trans(lation)

The year 2020 just could not leave quietly; it had to get in one last parting shot. If you picked up a copy of the Dec. 31 edition of The Graham Star, first of all, thank you.

‘The great reset’ being pitched

The Great Reset is an idea presented to us by the World Economic Forum and it suggests that the economies of the globe need a reset on capitalism, to prevent the disastrous effects of the COVID-19 pandemic from being a problem again.

Lower taxes attract key leaders

When Democrats attack pro-growth tax reform as “trickle-down economics,” I can understand their rhetorical intent.

Watch Night for a New Year

A tradition for many Christian churches is to hold a Watch Night service on New Year’s Eve. Watch Night is a time to gather, worship and hope for the coming year.  I recall one I participated in on Dec. 31, 1999.

Seize the moment

Senator Robert Kennedy toured Appalachia’s eastern Kentucky’s coal mining area in 1968. His two-day, eight-stop tour started in Vortex and ended in Prestonsburg.

Story of 1914 Christmas truce still circulates

This story has been told many times.  In fact, there are several different versions of it. One of them probably is true.  It happened in 1914, about five months into World War I. It was “a beautiful moonlit night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere,” Pvt.

How to make a better year happen

This has been a difficult year for most folks.  The only good news to some is that the year is nearly over. In a few days we move on to 2021. We tend to segment time and history into decades. The Fabulous Fifties and the Roaring Twenties come to mind.

Peace on Earth, good will toward men

Christmas time is here. If any holiday has the potential to bring people together, it is Christmas.  That is because Christmas brings us a particular message.  Christ was born to bring peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Yet, we live in a broken world.

Get enough sleep to fight illnesses

A goodnight sleep is so precious that no amount of money can ever replace it. In fact, one study linked insufficient sleep to an increased risk of obesity by 89 percent in children and 55 percent in adults.