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Rotten fruit doesn’t sell

None of us go to a store and look for a rotten black banana. We want a nice, not too ripe, but pleasing to the eye and the stomach banana. Who wants an orange with mold on it, or an apple that looks good on the outside, but is soft and bruised on the inside? Today we learn from God’s word that we are to have fruit of repentance. Matthew 3:8 says, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” What does that mean? It means that we are to live and act like we are Christians. Which by the way means we are to act like Jesus Christ. Matthew 7:15-17 says, “Watch out for false prophets. ...

‘Yuns’ Should be Proper English

“The people here talk curiously, they all ‘reckon’ instead of ‘expect.’ ‘Youns’ is a word I have heard used several times, but what it means I don’t know. . . .” Those lines were written in 1810, in the journal of an educated young Northeastern woman as she traveled by covered wagon through central Pennsylvania. Imagine my joy when I, a lover of history and specialist in hoopies and the hoopie dialect, stumbled across that early historical reference to the word that survives regionally in Appalachia to the present day: “yuns.” (Or “yinz,” as proud ...

Democrats likely to struggle next year

The House Bill 6 bribery scheme to provide a $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout of two failed nuclear power plants in exchange for an alleged $60 million bribe has tentacles that could touch many prominent Ohio Republicans. With 2022 statewide elections approaching, an important political question is: Can Democrats capitalize on it as they did with Coingate in 2006? In July 2020, Larry Householder, then the Ohio House speaker, and four other Republicans — including former Ohio GOP Chairman Matt Borges — were indicted on racketeering conspiracy charges by federal authorities related to ...

Troubling predictions for electric grid this winter

As the nation slides into winter, the U.S. could very well be facing another energy crisis. But this one won’t be at the gas pump. Instead, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) — which oversees the reliability of the nation’s power supply—is warning that a prolonged cold snap could spur blackouts across dozens of states this winter. We’ve heard these warnings before—and they’ve proven to be chillingly accurate. Last February, for example, a winter storm led to massive power outages in Texas. More than 4 million customers were left without electricity for ...

Reducing gift exchange stress

Honey approached me with a closed fist, not an unusual occurrence in our marriage. (Kidding, kidding). “Pick one,” she said. She opened her hand to reveal three folded pieces of paper. On the outside of each was written “boy,” which told me it was time to pick a name for our immediate family’s adult Christmas gift exchange. Our exchange has a sexist orientation; that is, men buy gifts for men, and women for women. Very un-woke. I chose one and opened it up. Because who is buying for whom is supposed to be a secret until the gift is opened, I cannot say whose name I got, ...

Some leftovers from Johnson interview

It’s one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving. Sometimes they also come from news interviews. Here are some leftover things I discussed with U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson that didn’t make it into my recent article. Because of congressional redistricting, Johnson, R-Marietta, will run for re-election next year in a new 6th District that will include all of Mahoning and Trumbull counties — assuming the Ohio Supreme Court upholds the Republican-drawn map. Johnson first was elected to the U.S. House in 2010 and has represented portions of Mahoning County since then. But this is a ...