The View from Mudsock Heights: The Haitian Earthquake Brings Thoughts of Midwestern History

By Dennis E. Powell | Jan 21, 2010 at 17:13:48

The sheer vastness of the devastation in Haiti, a nation that was not a garden spot to begin with, is such that it is almost impossible to grasp. It appears that at least as many people as populate all of my county — every man, woman, child, and out-of-town college student — were killed. The mind lacks perspective for such things, even as a phrase like “a trillion dollars” is so big as to be meaningless.

With Respect, Brett Favre is Your NFL MVP

By Jason Kettinger | Jan 19, 2010 at 1:25:6

It should not have been close. The scandal of it is that Brett Favre is already a three time MVP from the 1995-97 seasons, which was a record until now. That he lost the award to another great, Peyton Manning, in itself is not scandalous; that he lost it this season is.

The View from Mudsock Heights: The Joys of Heating the Whole House With a Woodstove

By Dennis E. Powell | Jan 12, 2010 at 17:3:44

Here we are, a third of the way through January and well into very cold weather, and I still haven’t fired up the furnace this winter. I don’t know if I will.

The View from Mudsock Heights: What Do We Do About the Asteroid Problem?

By Dennis E. Powell | Jan 7, 2010 at 19:52:21

The article caught my attention — how could it not?

It seems that the Russians are going to get busy and, if they work hard and fast, they will push an asteroid away from Earth before it comes close — maybe too close — in 2032.

Gifts of Christmas 2009: Procrastinator’s Gift Buying Guide

Dec 23, 2009 at 16:44:58

So, it is the night before the night before Christmas and you still have shopping to do. Do not panic — our editors have put their heads together and assembled a selection of interesting, affordable and sure to please gifts you can pick up at your local store or receive electronic delivery on.

The View from Mudsock Heights: Nothing So Sweetens Christmas Memories as the Passage of Time

By Dennis E. Powell | Dec 22, 2009 at 23:47:18

When Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol In Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas (the full title) in 1843, he chose to make the least frightening of his apparitions the Ghost of Christmas Past. That makes sense. Christmas memories tend toward the sweet.

The View from Mudsock Heights: To Enjoy Music, We Need to be Able to Escape Music

By Dennis E. Powell | Dec 17, 2009 at 22:11:9

The assault on, with, and by music continues, and grows. I love music, but I don’t know how long I can hold out, in a world in which escaping from music has become increasingly difficult.

UPDATED: Black Friday Picks

By Timothy R. Butler | Nov 26, 2009 at 0:53:56

Trying to sort through the noise and find a few good deals online for Black Friday? Here are some of the most interesting deals that are available right now, including great deals on MacBooks and KitchenAid stand mixers. Updated at 5:30 p.m. (CST) on November 27

The View from Mudsock Heights: On Winter Nights, When the Universe Becomes Visible

By Dennis E. Powell | Nov 19, 2009 at 23:11:49

One of the best things about winter — yes, there are some — is how clear the sky gets at night.

The View from Mudsock Heights: The Hills Are Alive With Not-So-Cute Cartoon Animals

By Dennis E. Powell | Nov 13, 2009 at 0:33:9

Disney it ain’t. I think you know what I mean: all those lovely Walt Disney cartoon movies, in which the birds flutter lovingly around the sky, and the fawns gambol in the meadows, the butterflies flit about like ballerinas, and the ever-so-cute bunnies and squirrels and chipmunks scurry — the word probably was invented to describe cartoon rodents and lagomorphs — nearby.