It’s not progress if it lowers the quality of life

Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.

Well, well. Here we sit on Okaloosa Island. On the right lies our scenic marina-slash-sewer, aka Choctawhatchee Bay. Rumors of the Gulf of Mexico place it to our left, its existence privy only to the gloating apparatchiks who inhabit the… READ MORE

Welcome to our little town, with its own pet crematorium

This image was obtained from the town of Cinco Bayou's website.

Welcome to the town of Cinco Bayou, a pleasant enclave amid a sea of tackiness, its tree-lined streets providing access to quaint shops and beautiful homes … and now, in an exciting new development, a pet crematorium. Cinco Bayou is… READ MORE

Welcome to the new American

The book “The Ugly American” was published in 1958 and lauded as an incisive analysis of America’s myopic approach to foreign policy in Southeast Asia. But over the years it has come to mean something else: the inclination of many… READ MORE

The American media suffered their own 9/11

                It couldn’t happen here.                 For decades Americans have watched mayhem overseas, smugly confident their shores were safe from chaos. Sept. 11, 2001 changed that.                 We’re talking about journalism, of course.                 While American media rushed to pat… READ MORE

Jeff Newell will not be the last of his kind, but he will be the best

While the nose art indicates the name of this Collings Foundation B-24 is "Golden Girl," the plane was known as the "All American." Journalist Bruce Brewer stands atop the fuselage prior to the flight from Panama City to Crestview in March 1998. Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.

The afternoon was cold, and Jeff Newell was trembling. “We get to go flying!” he enthused, rubbing his hands together, his voice rising and falling in a little boy’s sing-song. The freezing wind mattered little. More important was the aging… READ MORE

For the love of God and Pet of the Day

I get some interesting mail. For instance, sitting on my desk is a letter from God. Well. I didn’t see THAT coming. Why would God communicate with via the Postal Service? Why not a good old-fashioned bolt of lightning? Relax…. READ MORE

The giving of advice has become an industry

Image courtesy of Flickr user Got Credit by way of a Creative Commons license. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gotcredit/

A word of advice: Ever get the feeling you’re being overwhelmed with advice? I have here a press release from the National Headache Foundation, which I’ve been keeping since last month. The NHF wanted me to have a “headache-free Valentine’s… READ MORE