There is a natural belief among children and teens that there is a glorious time in life when they will not have to listen to anyone and they can do whatever they want.  That day never comes.  In fact, it never even comes for the most powerful person in the USA – the President of… Read More »

Growing up in the country and on a farm, there were always plenty of old trailer and tractor tires lying around.  They might be tossed on a tarp-covered pile of silage to hold the tarp in place or on a metal roof that had come loose.  When the surplus became too much, you did what… Read More »

Article II, Section II, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution grants pardoning powers to the President of the United States.  It states that “The President shall … have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”  The President can pardon only those who have committed… Read More »

We tend to think 2020 was an awful year as the pandemic swept throughout the world, taking the lives of approximately 1.75 million people (at the time of the writing of this devotional) and causing restrictions and shutdowns globally.  However, 1973 was a worse year. In 1973, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the famous… Read More »

His name was Charles Osborne and he lived from 1893-1991.  The 98 years of his life were marred by an accident that occurred in 1922 when Charles was 29 years old.  In a 1982 interview with People magazine, Osborne described his accident. “I was hanging a 350-pound hog for butchering. I picked it up and… Read More »

Imagine sitting at home, eating dinner, watching television, or reading — and the lights blinked.  It doesn’t just happen once.  This happened about 15-20 times in a minute.  In an hour, this phenomenon happened about 1000 times.  Would you notice?  (Obviously, YES, since you counted!)  Would it bother you?  Would you be calling the city,… Read More »

Sternutation is an event that happens when the epithelium of the principal organ of the olfactory system experiences irritation in one of the vestibules.  The irritation stimulates the endings of the trigeminal cranial nerve, sending a message to the brain and activating a reflexive response. Huh?!?  To put it simply, a sneeze! What an amazing… Read More »

When the tones drop on our Fire Department pagers, one of the things we do not want to hear is “fully involved structure fire with flames showing.”  Upon arriving on the scene, the building is complete engulfed and the flames are visible through windows, doors, the roof, and the siding.  Thankfully in my years on… Read More »

The year is 1953.  Four men founded The Rocket Chemical Company in San Diego, CA to make a single product.  The beginnings of this product and company revolve around two stories, each claiming to be the accurate genesis of company. One story says that the product was intended for use by the U.S. Navy.  A… Read More »

Germaphobes have been with us for a very long time.  Connoisseurs of fine hand sanitizers have depleted the  pre-pandemic stock on a regular basis.  When everything came to a screeching halt mid-March, 2020, places like Bath & Body were thrown into a tail-spin with the shelves stripped bare. Companies retooled and found ways to capitalize… Read More »