After that dismal non-spring we endured, it’s such a pleasure to light up the grill and barbecue my favorite grill food – ribs. After so many years of dickering and fine-tuning rib recipes, I finally have one I consider near perfection, and my guests always agree. I wish I could take credit for those ribs; I can’t. The combined recipe
Fourth of July wasn’t always that fun
I remember when I was growing up on a farm in central Minnesota that the Fourth of July wasn’t always a real fun time. In many ways, it was just another summer day. Besides working on the farm, my dad also worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud. He often worked on July 4. My mom didn’t
Patriot Act powers must be scrutinized
I wasn’t very surprised to learn the National Security Agency had such an all-inclusive surveillance network that included virtually every American’s phone calls and internet interactions. I wasn’t too surprised because as soon as I saw the Twin Towers falling down on 9-11, my dread horror was instantly followed by the thought our civil liberties are bound to be infringed
Batting helmets offered protection but caused problems as well
I drove past a park in town the other day and noticed two young boys playing catch with a baseball. One of the young boys was wearing a batting helmet that appeared to be about six sizes too big for his noggin. Boy, did that bring back some great memories. I remember as a youngster playing what we called “Little
Time comes to a dead stop inside MRI
“Time flies,” they say. Well, let me assure you, it doesn’t fly inside an MRI; it comes to a dead stop. MRI is short for a “magnetic resonance imaging” machine, which resembles something from Stanley Kubrick’s great mind-blowing movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Last week, I had to take a “ride” in an MRI. First the technician had me lie
Swing set brings back fond memories
The house I live in came equipped with a swing set. The family who had owned the house before I moved in left it behind. There is not only a swing set and slide, but also a sandbox and fort. It’s really nice, but since my children are grown and on their own, I really do not have any use
Saudi Arabia deserves worldwide condemnation
Will Saudi Arabia ever join modern civilization? Or will it remain a virtual medieval country? Alas, the latter seems likely. Barbaric executions – most of them public beheadings – still take place in that country. Its “justice” system, based on Islamic Sharia law, is about as “just” as the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th Century, when so-called heretics were interrogated,
Why don’t Oklahomans build tornado shelters?
People in Oklahoma must all be dumb because they don’t have tornado shelters or even basements. I get mad when I hear people say that. I have a kinship with Oklahoma, a state I’ve visited quite a few times since 1963. My oldest brother, Jimmy, met his future wife in Chickasha, Okla. when he was in the U.S. Army in