Western Civilization is Not Christian: A Foot in Both Worlds

By Ed Hurst | Sep 2, 2010 at 0:39:41

The Apostle John warned us the world would naturally hate us. It should then be no surprise that, as I have argued in my previous columns, the West’s way of looking at things might be less than ideal for understanding God and his will for us.

The View from Mudsock Heights: Getting Prickly From the Heat, Humidity, Horseflies, and Humans

By Dennis E. Powell | Aug 20, 2010 at 16:49:42

Despite the warmth of the day, swinging the maul down on the hunks of black locust wood was satisfying. In every case, the pieces of log had blown apart with that satisfying sound good wood makes when it’s split.

Then came the hidden knot.

The All Too Averaged American Road

By Timothy R. Butler | Aug 19, 2010 at 22:23:36

While traveling from place to place by car is hardly the glamorous thing it once was, it certainly has grown easier. As I went through Southern Missouri twice this week – once going down the Interstate and once back up via the remains of Route 66, I wondered if easier had any relation to better.

The View from Mudsock Heights: Once a Cultural Icon, Mitch Miller Died and Hardly Anyone Noticed

By Dennis E. Powell | Aug 15, 2010 at 7:27:6

Fame, even great fame, tends to be fleeting. What brings this to mind is last month’s news that Mitch Miller had died. He was 99 years old, so he had a good innings as they say, and that fact must temper our mourning. The chief sadness about his passing is that so little notice was paid to it. Mitch Miller was once as famous as anyone in the country.

The Music Files: George Strait

By Jason Kettinger | Aug 13, 2010 at 21:43:14

Maybe I am a little biased, but writing a review of a George Strait album feels a little like saying, “Water is very good.” Rarely has a man of only 58 years attained such influence. More than this, he is still at the top, churning out hits routinely and consistently as we speak.

The View from Mudsock Heights: A New Electronic Twist to an Age-Old Addiction

By Dennis E. Powell | Aug 5, 2010 at 23:16:54

It’s been a month, so I suppose there’s a chance it will hold: after several decades, I’ve quit smoking. Indeed, the last time I’d gone this long without a cigarette I was probably 16 years old. There is nothing that would delight me more than to be able to tell you that it has been an heroic struggle, unless maybe it would be to say that I feel oh-so-much better. Neither of those things would be true, though.

The View from Mudsock Heights: Good News Reminds Me I Have a Lot of Work to Do Before Winter

By Dennis E. Powell | Jul 30, 2010 at 21:37:35

Happy surprises are so rare that when one occurs it’s worth passing along. I had been worried that I was running out of propane. It had been a year or more since the big tank got filled and, glancing at the gauge a few weeks ago I saw it was pretty low.

Sometimes a Lake and a Powered Down Cell Phone Are All You Need

By Timothy R. Butler | Jul 24, 2010 at 22:4:23

Henry David Thoreau famously wrote on life by a pond some one hundred and fifty-six years ago. As I sat looking out a window upon glistening water earlier this week, I realized quibbles with the transcendentalists aside, I too needed a Walden Pond.

The View from Mudsock Heights: Sea Salt? Organic Sugar? What Exactly are We Talking About Here?

By Dennis E. Powell | Jul 19, 2010 at 23:15:7

The chips tasted pretty good — then I saw the words that made me put them down. No, the bag did not say “contains triglycerides” or “full of transfats.” It said — proudly, if you can believe it — “with sea salt.”

The View from Mudsock Heights: I Thought I Knew About Tomato Growing, But I Was Wrong

By Dennis E. Powell | Jul 15, 2010 at 20:1:18

This year I may have to can some tomatoes. The “putting up” of vegetables was an annual ritual when I was a child, and as a grownup I’ve threatened to do it from time to time, but this year it might just happen.