When I was a youngster the many games we played were always topped by pretending to be cowboys. Our favorite costumes were authentic western duds that were ordered from the Montgomery Ward catalogue. Tops among movies of that era were the Saturday western serials. Watching those heroes ride and shoot it didn’t seem possible that over the ensuring years I would actually … [Read more...]
Oh, those ‘little’ wisdom books
Since I became a priest, and today as a professional counselor, people buy me little, popular wisdom books. By “little” I mean small. Sometimes as small in dimension as a CD, and not much thicker. By “popular” I mean the book is written by someone that has been a guest on Oprah, or have otherwise achieved commercial and popular momentum. By “wisdom” I mean the book is written … [Read more...]
Public employee pensions now shrouded in secrecy
Gov. Steve Sisolak has signed into law a bill that will make it impossible for the public and even elected officials to act as a watchdogs and catch abuses in the taxpayer-funded Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). Senate Bill 224, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Julia Ratti, declares much of the information about state and local government retirees confidential. Only … [Read more...]
Trumpeting tragedy as Great Depression2 descends
No more turning away From the weak and the weary No more turning away From the coldness inside Just a world that we all must share It’s not enough just to stand and stare Is it only a dream that there’ll be No more turning away. -- Pink Floyd (1987) In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been in recession since the third quarter of last year. It’s just … [Read more...]
National Popular Vote veto is the right call
Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak rightly chose to stand up for his state instead of his party and vetoed Assembly Bill 186 — the ill-advised Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. The bill landed on Sisolak’s desk after passing the Assembly and state Senate with every Republican voting in opposition and even five Democrats in the … [Read more...]
A discussion on infrastructure must include expanding reliable rural broadband
By Senator Catherine Cortez Masto The internet provides us access to so many important resources in our lives, from entertainment and education to commerce and health care services. Nevadans rely on broadband to do important tasks, like finishing school assignments, growing businesses, staying connected to loved ones and seeking quality health care through telemedicine … [Read more...]
‘Blade Runner’ most brilliant of the dystopia films
I just finished Adjustment Day, by Chuck Palahniuk. Nope, I don’t know how to pronounce his last name, either. It’s fiction. A dystopian novel. More terrifying than my favorite childhood monster movies, of which I was a rabid fan. The book begins with a quote from one of the “founding fathers,” John Adams: “Remember, Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, … [Read more...]
Pony Express Stations: The Northern Route – Stillwater Dogleg
By Dennis Cassinelli Beyond Fort Churchill and Buckland’s Station through the area now known as Churchill County, the history of the Pony Express Stations becomes a confusing mess. Captain James H. Simpson blazed a trail across central Nevada that roughly follows U.S. Highway 50 across Nevada and Utah in 1859 and 1860. This became known as the Simpson Route or the Central … [Read more...]