A little ‘I love you? goes a long way

Sometimes it is the little things that can make a person smile for a long time. The other day I got one of those great gifts from our little four year old son, Sean. I sat down with him on the floor to play a video game (I believe the name of the game to […]

It just ain’t Halloween without snow

When I harken back to those joy-filled days of my youth, my recollections of Halloween are sketchy at best. I admit, I find this kind of disheartening because I like to think my memory is razor sharp. And, while I’m still holding to my belief of a good memory, I’m putting an asterisk next to […]

Sometimes questions need asking

As the presidential debates ended last week (thank goodness), I’d like to say this: Debate is good. The free exchange of information is good, even if the information is bad. Bad is good? How can this be? How can bad information be good for folks? Well, easy (in some skewed sense of logic possessed by […]

‘Wild Night Out? a record night for conservancy

It was cold and blustery night outside, but last Friday night’s ‘Wild Night Out? was anything like dreary. The bidding was hot and furious for the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy’s 4th annual benefit auction. ‘It looks like we brought in $29,000,? NOHLC Executive Director Katie Anderson said on Monday. ‘It was a record night […]

Extreme pumpkin carving

There came a point in time when Tom Nardone had had enough. Something he loved as a child had morphed into something obscene and alien. What he saw offended him. I’m not saying Tom snapped, cracked, broke down, freaked out or even cried like a girly man. No. Like all good men who see something […]

Hey, plants have feelings, too

Mr. Smarty Pants, Don Rush, only received an Honorable Mention in this year’s Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest for Local Column Writing. The judges only said of Rush’s efforts: ‘These columns on local issues and people strike a chord with the reader.? Despite his lackluster performance in writing, Rush has taken the week off. […]

Don’s take on being a dad

I must say my stratiegery of brainwashing is (so far) going as scheduled. I’ll be honest, I am trying to influence my boys? lives to my way of thinking. Publicly, some dads say they plan to let their boys be boys, to let nature and the environment take their courses. Publicly, they say they don’t […]

Where others dare not tread

Watching the news reports from the war in Iraq, I (albeit a lily white guy from a lily white part of the world with no experience in matters abroad) have come to this conclusion: The take over has officially begun and in the war for the hearts and minds of Iraqis, we are winning. While […]

To Hollywood from Clarkston, via New York

‘I moved to LA in 2001 to pursue a career as a writer. Today, I took a significant step toward that goal.? This past spring, friends and family of 1986 Clarkston High School graduate Karen Barna received that message via e-mail. Barna landed a job as a staff writer for the Warner Brothers studio. The […]

Life can be such a bummer

Much of what happens at home and around the world — commonly referred to as life — can be summed up in one word. Bummer. Which is not to say life is a bummer. Even when you are living a George Baileyesque wonderful life like me, bummer things happen — your car needs towing, your […]