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Cicada symphony
BY VICKI LOVERN It may not be music to our ears, but it is indeed the sweetest melody for the hundreds of thousands of cicadas that blend their unique sounds to create nature’s largest symphony. The cicadas, whose sole purpose in life is to reproduce, synchronize their mating calls in an often deafening but always
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Advice for graduates
Many of you have a son or daughter or maybe, like me, a granddaughter graduating this month. This is always a momentous occasion for the teenager and their families. Most of us who have a few years under our belts know that time flies. Before these graduates know what hit them, they are thrust into
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Customer service can be frustrating
I am sure many of you have had to make a phone call to a company or utility service trying to get some help or information. I am sure if you have – you have come away frustrated. You make the call, and instead of getting a live person, you get an automated reply. Press
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Sci-fi gadgets that became reality
If you are a fan of the original “Star Trek” television series, you may remember the “communicator” they used. It was a handheld device that allowed them to talk back and forth from almost anywhere. It sort of looked like our early flip-phone cell devices. Fast forward to today and just a few years ago
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Mom and the alien bug
BY VICKI LOVERN A few years before my mom passed away, she stumbled upon an alien bug sunning itself on her front porch. After a sun-filled Fourth of July, she stared down at the eerily cute creature and wondered if the heat of the day was causing her to hallucinate. It was both cute and
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Conspiracy theories that were false
It is fascinating how a story that is not true can become real among conspiracy theorists. It has happened for years but can be more prominent in today’s world with social media and the internet. I am sure many of you my age are Beatles fans. One of the first conspiracy theory claims I recall
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Hoping for a ‘black gold’ revival
Coal could be making a comeback. Of course, this will greatly help the job market and economy of states like Kentucky and West Virginia, especially in our region. Southwestern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky have long been known for producing high-quality, low-sulfur coal. On Tuesday, April 8, at 3 p.m., President Donald Trump signed an
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Old wives’ tales and health remedies
There are many old wives’ tales that we have heard throughout the years. Many wonder if there is any substance to these old health remedies. Many of the things we actually eat can help us with our health and assist us in getting better. Lots of the old wives’ tales deal with medicinal foods and
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Burning Teslas to save the planet? The irony is rich
Unless you are living in a cave and have not seen any news in the past couple of weeks, you have witnessed recent incidents of people vandalizing and protesting Tesla dealerships. Tesla cars, cyber trucks, dealerships and charging stations have been set on fire, shot at and sprayed with graffiti across the country in acts
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The lost art of letter writing
The art of writing a letter to a family member or friend is a thing of the past. Writing a letter and mailing it to someone has become very rare indeed. Handwritten correspondence between individuals has become a thing of the past. With email, social media and other internet platforms – communicating by letter just
