Guarded Treasures

LightGramsNovember 10, 2022Volume 26, Number 34 At a garage sale you purchase an old purse that caught your attention. As you examine it later you discover a baseball card tucked away inside. Further investigation reveals that this card, which is in near-mint condition, could be worth a great deal. So what do you do with…

A Sting Operation

LightGramsOctober 27, 2022Volume 26, Number 33 With the Associated Press story of Rorie Woods being arrested is a photo of her wearing an unusual hat, one that covered her entire head and face. It’s the garb typically worn by beekeepers who want to protect themselves while they tend to their hives. Woods put this on…

A Dangerous Chicken Marinade

LightGramsOctober 13, 2022Volume 26, Number 32 I recently overheard a man talking about preparing chicken breasts that were the best he had ever had. The key, he said, was a particular salad dressing which he used as a marinade. After sitting in that marinade for a time, the chicken was baked and served. I recently…

Stewards Of The Lighthouse

LightGramsOctober 6, 2022Volume 26, Number 31 An interesting auction took place a few days ago: an aging and rusting lighthouse was sold by the U.S. government to a yet-unnamed bidder. Situated in the Chesapeake Bay, the structure sits in the water with no easy way to approach it. It’s in great need of repair, and…

15 Minutes Of Fame

LightGramsSeptember 29, 2022Volume 26, Number 30 If asked to give a memorable quote from the late artist Andy Warhol, many could give a sound bite at least: “fifteen minutes of fame”. The fuller statement is this: “In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes.” Few really know what Warhol meant, but that…

Breaking The chain

LightGramsSeptember 22, 2022Volume 26, Number 29 According to Yahoo News, Grace Brassel’s video on TikTok has gone viral, gathering over 2 million views. She tells about being told that her order at Starbucks was free, that someone in front of her had paid for it. Her first reaction was, “How nice!” But then the barista…

The Blind Driver

LightGramsSeptember 1, 2022Volume 26, Number 28 The phrase “Justice is blind” refers to the impartiality of the legal system. Ideally the courts should never look at a person’s ethnicity, gender, economic status, or educational level when making judgments. The judgments should be on the basis of evidence alone. Richard Bernstein is a Justice on the…

The Light Has Gone Out

LightGramsAugust 25, 2022Volume 26, Number 27 A lighthouse served a critical function in years gone by. Ships looking for a safe harbor to enter could be guided safely even in the darkness of night. The keeper of the lighthouse had to be reliable to keep the lamps trimmed and burning, because the lives of the…

Throwing Stones

LightGramsAugust 11, 2022Volume 26, Number 26 About an hour from where I live is an annual event that draws thousands. The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina is a celebration of Scottish heritage, and something like an Olympic competition is part of the festivities. For example, men in traditional kilts compete in “turning the…