Republic-Times

bill ott

A missed opportunity | Ott Observations

Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the U.S. House Speaker position. This is the top leadership position in the House of Representatives, chosen by a majority of the representatives. Prior…

tullis

Cartoons | Mark’s Remarks

“That’s something kids today will never know about.” How many times do you say that as you grow older?   Michelle and I were talking about cartoons the other day…

tullis

Walk and Roll, 1978 | Mark’s Remarks

Last week was “Walk and Roll To School Day.” I don’t know the origin, but I think it’s been around since the late 1990s. Someone asked me if it was…

bill ott

Lines in the sand | Ott Observations

Mike Bost is our representative in Congress. He has a website which summarizes his positions on a variety of issues.  Our country is divided over whether the past presidential election…

tullis

Pranktober | Mark’s Remarks

One of the things I’m really going to miss about teaching in a school with a bunch of hooligans is the pranks that usually begin to crop up around this…

tullis

Technology and taking things for granted | Mark’s Remarks

I’m trying to remember my early days as a teacher, conjuring up memories of the “hardships” we like to tell stories about when young teachers complain about the internet being…

flora FEAT

‘Flora and Son’ | Movie Review

Movie critics and writers often try to sound eloquent and high-brow when reviewing movies.  They use metaphors.  They compare movie characters to great characters in literature or find correlations between…

bill ott

Let’s talk baseball | Ott Observations

Part of the beauty of sports is they give us a break from all the stresses of daily life.  And in this world of increased polarization, one thing virtually all…

tullis

Block party | Mark’s Remarks

Michelle is a good match for me, because she often has fanciful ideas that end up being excellent ones.   After I unintentionally pop her idea bubble, bring up boring…

tullis

Marybeth | Mark’s Remarks

“Have you met Marybeth yet?”   My friends who already knew her said we just had to meet. I had no idea who this Marybeth was. People kept telling me…