R-T Columns
Evidence-based decision making | Ott Observations
Before I became a columnist, I spent some years working in healthcare consulting. One of the big trends was embracing “evidence-based medicine.” Basically, this was a leveraging of ALL of…
Read MoreThe misunderstandings of teachers in their dotage
When I was in school, we had a group of teachers who most of us thought must be at least 90 years old. I mean, they seemed ancient to us.…
Read MorePig-out planning | Mark’s Remarks
I’ve been dragging my patootie out of bed long before the sun comes up since mid-summer. You see, I finally made a plan I could stick to and finally collaborated…
Read MoreExplain yourself or get out | Ott Observations
It feels like we have reached a low point in our national history where leaders are not accountable to explain their actions and decisions while at the same time we have…
Read MoreStaging | Mark’s Remarks
Here we go again. Several years ago, I wrote two consecutive columns about moving to a new house. One person I know well said “Don’t write about moving again.”…
Read MoreReconciling faith and politics | Ott Observations
When time permits, I attend a Saturday morning men’s discussion group at my church. We review the scripture readings for Sunday and then discuss what they mean to us in…
Read MoreNew theme: Getting old | Mark’s Remarks
I’ve had someone tell me more than once this past weekend that I’m getting old. Last week’s column was about being too old to keep up with life in general.…
Read MoreCutting the mustard | Mark’s Remarks
I might have written about an outing some of our friends went on a few years ago. We have been chumming around since our twenties, which is quite a blessing. …
Read MoreQualities of leadership | Ott Observation
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Bob Woodward speak. If you are of a certain age, you may recall that he, along with Carl Bernstein,…
Read MoreDay off | Mark’s Remarks
For years, I’ve had people in the community ask me what teachers do on those “days off” – also referred to as “Institute Days.” It used to offend me greatly.…
Read MoreKiddie shows, the gang and political correctness | Mark’s Remarks
Back in the day, television stations often showed some type of lunchtime show for kids with cartoons and shenanigans. It was especially common practice in larger cities, where kids walked…
Read MoreA case for safety nets | Ott Observations
I was reading recently about the enhanced child tax credit (part of the COVID economic relief package) and its impact on families in poverty. Besides increasing the dollar amount, the…
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