Sharing mutual feelings for my biggest fan

May 8, 2022

Without question, my mom is my biggest fan — in my work and, generally, in life. These days, she almost always is complimentary. Trust me, it wasn’t always that way. As a teenager I struggled with her judgment, often feeling frustrated that she found it necessary to insert so much negativity into my perfectly good plans — especially considering that I already knew everything about, well, everything. Back then as I wrested with her judgments, I’m sure she was wresting with her desire to strangle a teenage me. Now a mother myself, I have experienced similar episodes where I, ...

Can you imagine dying just to share story?

May 1, 2022

ussian soldiers occupying regions of Ukraine are spending time gathering information, making lists and searching for journalists in order to make them collaborate or to silence them. “By waging this manhunt to track down Ukrainian journalists, the Russian troops aim to terrorize them and force them to remain silent if they refuse to disseminate Kremlin propaganda,” said Jeanne Cavelier, of Reporters without Borders. Journalists in that European region have been warned either to spread only information approved by Russian leaders — that is, misinformation — or face ...

Court case sets boundaries on anonymity

April 24, 2022

The outcome of an Ohio Supreme Court case brought by one of Ohio’s largest newspapers establishes statewide precedent for Ohio courts on when someone may file a lawsuit anonymously. The case involved a plaintiff — a Cincinnati area police officer — who sought to remain anonymous in the defamation suit he filed against people he said publicly labeled him as a racist. But as most journalists would argue, openness is key, and the courts should not randomly allow an accuser to file suit anonymously. Accused have the right to face and name their accusers, and the public should have ...

Value today as tomorrow isn’t guaranteed

April 17, 2022

Nothing in life ever is guaranteed. Just ask the family of NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Undoubtedly, the young man was in the prime of his life when he was killed early April 9, the result of a tragic accident. He was just 24. It was only about two weeks earlier that the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they were bringing back the former Ohio State standout for a second season. The team had signed him last year to the development squad. Then, in recent weeks, the Steelers announced Haskins would compete with former Chicago and Buffalo quarterback Mitch Trubisky and longtime ...

Cellphone puzzle not limited to new iPhone

April 10, 2022

I got a new iPhone last week. I was pretty excited for about a minute. Then I remembered I’m not a millennial. What’s worse, I’m a Generation X-er who’s not tech savvy but thinks she is. I thought I had the setup all under control. I downloaded all my photos from the iCloud. I transferred all my apps. I entered all my passwords into the new device. I scanned my face for facial recognition. (And before you even say it, yes, I know, I shouldn’t have done that. As my husband quickly pointed out, now all the hackers know what I look like.) I rolled my eyes. He’s the last ...

After missteps, we must remember to forgive

April 3, 2022

If it isn’t a Nashville awards show touting top country music performers and incredible songwriters, odds are I’m not settled in on the living room couch, tuned in with my feet propped up. My husband and I typically see only a few new movies a year at the theater. And our home streaming services are limited to HBO Max and Netflix, so these days there are few motion pictures that I am familiar with or, at least, was rooting for to win this year’s best motion picture Oscar. Sure, like most everyone, I enjoy a good show. But when I tuned in briefly before the Oscars began last ...