LightGrams March 16, 2017 Volume 21, Number 10 As I write this, you only have a couple of hours left to submit your brackets. I’m referring (in case you didn’t know) to an activity that occupies the minds of millions of Americans at this time every year. It’s called “March Madness” for a reason. People…
LightGrams March 9, 2017 Volume 21, Number 9 Like most others I know, there has never been a time in my adult life when I didn’t own a car. Some have been ugly and barely operable, but I’ve always had a ride. But when I read the story from Brooklyn this morning, I understand why…
LightGrams February 23, 2017 Volume 21, Number 8 Connor Cox is like any other college student who lives away from home. When a package arrives in the mail, he’s eager to get into it. One of the two packages he received the other day at Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA) was what he hoped it…
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…