Have you ever purchased an item that offered a mail-in rebate? Yeah, me too. To receive your rebate, you usually have to jump through some hoops with sending a UPC code cut off of the box of the item along with filling out a form and including a copy of the receipt as proof of purchase. All that work, and from my experience, I have only ever received about one out of five … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: There’s more to us than a test score
By Alison Freese Should students only get noticed by a test score? In order for a student to get into most colleges they have to take the ACT test and get above a 25. Some students are very smart and do very well in school, but struggle when it comes to tests. Could there be an alternative to big tests that make up what college you get into? Some students who get bad … [Read more...]
Celebrating 25 Years of National Service
One of my proudest moments as a congressman was voting to support the creation of the national AmeriCorps program 25 years ago. Little did I know at the time how central this program would become to our culture of volunteerism and giving back to our communities. Even more surprising, and delightful, to me is the fact that I am now president of an organization that has stewarded … [Read more...]
Without civility, our system doesn’t work
When he was just a young teenage schoolboy, George Washington sat down and copied out 110 “Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior.” Many of these had to do with simple manners. “Cleanse not your teeth with the tablecloth, napkin, fork or knife,” reads Rule 100. Good advice at any time. But the first rule the future president wrote down and followed for the rest of his life … [Read more...]
Getting to know you!
We in Southern Minnesota are fortunate to have the editorial staff of the Fillmore County Journal supply us with news about events and profiles of some of the people in our area. I also enjoy reading the pages with opinions and commentary. On February 17, two commentaries caught and held my attention. One was written by Aaron Bishop and the other by Jane Peck. They … [Read more...]
A little of this, A little of that.
I AM NOT A HOARDER. I AM NOT A HOARDER. I AM NOT A HOARDER. I am a collector with impeccable taste, and I collect a wide variety of treasures. Wide variety being the most important words! My carefully selected collections include: glassware, china, silverware, candle holders, old prints, vintage fabrics, oak and walnut furniture, books, boxes that were used to hold gloves … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project: Do violent video games have an effect on our youth?
Viral videos around the internet have displayed many young children and adults’ rage after playing violent video games. You may see videos where the parent comes into the room and tells them to put the game away for a bit and the child throws the controller to the ground or even calls the parents derogatory slurs. Obviously, this has become so much of an issue that 45% of … [Read more...]
Random thoughts from “The Old Soldier”
By Ron Scheevel Preston, MN One thing that bothers this old guy is the current state of national politics. With the recent completion of the impeachment proceedings, maybe now our president and legislators can get back to the job they were elected to do. Both parties have neglected the serious issues of immigration, healthcare, homelessness, and what I consider a serious … [Read more...]
Coming clean
I knew this day was coming for a long time, dear reader. You see, as I’ve gone from part-time at a school to pumping boat toilets to bagging bread at 2 a.m. back to schools then to offices and back to schools again, I’ve gotten to see what life is like for America’s vast and wildly different working class. I’ve struggled, I’ve gone hungry, I’ve worked 16-hour days and turned in … [Read more...]
Cleaning house
I have always loved our country. It is painful to see how far we have fallen. Politicians have always hid certain information and occasionally lied, but never has the swamp been this deep and foul. Nearly everyone from the Trump campaign is a criminal. He “partied” with a convicted pedophile. He brags about sexual assault and mocks disabled people. His fake charity used … [Read more...]