LightGrams February 16, 2017 Volume 21, Number 7 Claudia Brown is relatively new in her position as Justice of the Peace in Bell County, Texas. When a man was recently brought before her to be charged with first degree murder, she first set his bell at $100,000. He had willingly turned himself in, she reasoned,…
LightGrams February 9, 2017 Volume 21, Number 6 When I was young I loved playing in the snow. Almost every new snowfall would find me rolling balls of snow as I constructed a snowman. I knew my creation would not last beyond the 32-degree mark. My best work was doomed from the outset. There’s a…
LightGrams February 2, 2017 Volume 21, Number 5 “The report of my death was an exaggeration,” is a line written by Samuel Clemens (AKA Mark Twain) in May of 1897. Clemens was traveling abroad, and reports had been published of his “grave illness”, eventually leading to his reported death. A reporter had written to inquire…
LightGrams January 26, 2017 Volume 21, Number 4 Sam Snow drives a taxi in Washington, D.C. Last Friday, the day of the Presidential Inauguration, he picked up three riders. Since Snow was wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers jacket and cap, the conversation turned to professional football. “Who’s the best all-time quarterback?” Snow was asked. He responded…
LightGrams January 19, 2017 Volume 21, Number 3 I assure you I’m not going to delve into political issues in this post. I do, however, want to note the inevitable uneasiness that always accompanies a transition of power. Some look forward to the inauguration of a new President; others are convinced that dark days lie…
LightGrams January 12, 2017 Volume 21, Number 2 Our nation has seen a bitter and divisive Presidential election take place. That battle is now over, and Donald Trump will soon take office. But does anyone believe things will quickly return to normal? Is the United States of America really united at this moment? Outgoing President…
LightGrams January 5, 2017 Volume 21, Number 1 Amanda and Adam Sherman stopped by an auto dealership in suburban Pittsburgh this past Monday to have their oil changed, a job that requires only a few minutes. By the time they left, they had more than they had come in with; Amanda was holding a newborn…
LightGrams December 22, 2016 Volume 20, Number 41 The age of electric cars is now here. What once seemed a fantasy has become reality, and that reality is growing rapidly. And we’re not talking about hybrid cars, in which sometimes the car runs on electricity and sometimes on gasoline. No, these cars are fully electric…
LightGrams December 15, 2016 Volume 20, Number 40 If you owe money to John Bubar of Parsonfield, Maine, you might want to repay it as quickly as possible. His son learned that lesson the hard way earlier this week. But John learned an even more painful lesson. John’s son lives in a mobile home that…
LightGrams December 8, 2016 Volume 20, Number 39 Wanda Dench of Mesa, Arizona was making her plans for the family Thanksgiving meal. She texted her invitations to family members, including her grandson. What Wanda didn’t know was that the grandson had changed his phone number. Her text went to a complete stranger, Jamal Hinton. Once…