If something bad happens to someone else, it’s a tragedy.
When it happens to you, it’s a crisis.
When it happens to a journalist, it’s news.
After the ice storm several days ago, I awoke to a cold, dark house and the dreadful fear of another widespread power outage. I called upon the skills developed during last year’s [...]
Archive for December, 2008
Margin Call: So long, Sunday Business
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged agriculture on December 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Soldier coming home for the holidays
Posted in Margin Call, tagged Bing Crosby, Christmas, Kosovo on December 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Christmas season at the Mires household of my childhood started the day Bing Crosby sang “Jingle Bells” on the console stereo.
I was so excited, I’d start to dance around, but get a stern warning not to jump off the couch or it would make the record skip.
Eventually, we bought a casette tape of that album [...]
The lights are back on!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged electricity, kcp&l, power outage on December 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
About 5 a.m., I was awakened by an ominous sound: The furnace running full blast then clanking to a stop.
Then the crack of a transformer blowing in the alley.
“Not again,” I groaned and pulled the covers over my head.
This ice storm must have gotten worse than forecast. No way did I want to relive [...]
Merry Christmas, sinners
Posted in Ministry on December 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
One of my favorite Christmas songs begins “Tears are falling hearts are breaking.”
Ah, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!
I like that song because it reminds me that Christmas is not about smiley happy families gathered round artfully decorated trees drinking hot cocoa sharing melodious laughter while snow gently falls on a picture perfect [...]
Margin Call: Santa myth falls to economic truth
Posted in Uncategorized on December 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Dear Virginia, if you’re reading the business section of the Sunday newspaper, you’ll want to stop right now.
Because, first of all, what 9-year-old reads the business news? But also because what you’ll find on these pages will burst your little bubble. It will dash childhood dreams that if you just eat your vegetables, memorize your [...]
Margin Call: Score me some recession vaccine
Posted in Margin Call, Uncategorized, tagged recession, vaccine on December 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
So far, I’ve escaped the flu.
It’s not because I’m lucky. In October, I got a flu shot.
Used to be, I didn’t bother to get the shot. I’ve always been pretty healthy. Even though the News-Press offers shots for employees at a deep discount, it didn’t seem worth the hassle.
Then one winter, a nasty virus attacked. [...]
