Opinion

Well, what do you know: There are literary voices in northern Appalachia that aren’t dark and self-loathing! Read more

The holidays have left without a trace. Well, almost. Long after the decorations have come down, you still have debt hanging around. Read more

When it comes to this time of the year, particularly this date, two things immediately come to mind: the inhuman brutality man has toward another human being and my son’s birthday. One is a very horrendous thought, and the other one filled with joy. Read more

We may think spending money on ourselves will make us happier than spending it on someone else. That belief can make it hard to carve money out of our budgets to give to good causes. Read more

I try to be a positive guy, especially when it comes to grammar. I believe a rising tide lifts all ships and that there is more than enough good grammar to go around. If you came on my grammar talk show equivalent of “Oprah,” I’d be on stage yelling, “Look under your seats! You get good grammar! And you get good grammar! Everybody gets good grammar!” Read more

Tricia Lewis cancels a Dave Chapelle and Joe Rogan show in New Orleans because of surging COVID cases. Vivid Seats refuses her request for a refund. Is there a way to get her money back? Read more

Cities and states are shelling out serious cash to lure remote workers. Read more

I really believed that 2021 was going to be a year of hope. When the new year started, that four-letter word seemed to send a spark over the airways and people began to believe this was the year when change was going to take place. COVID-19 would wane, and things would get back to a new normal. Read more

Applying to college typically comes with some uncertainty, but this year’s applicants are tackling one additional question: What should you do when a pandemic has limited what goes into your college applications? Read more

When is a door not a door? When it’s ajar. Read more

Why did Kate Syverson’s rent just go up by $157 a month? And why is her apartment manager threatening to take her to court if she won’t pay $1,048 in back rent? Read more

Years ago, a friend who needed cash sold me a $100 Nordstrom gift card. I wish I knew where the heck I put it. Read more

Gary McCoy’s editorial cartoon is headlined “Goodbye 2021” and shows 2021’s Old Man rushing a dumpster full of flames out the exit, while the 2022 Baby is thinking “Good riddance.” Read more

Brian Gawthrop has waited over six months to remodel his home. Read more

It’s interesting what I come across when I think I’m going to write one story only to find out I’m distracted to such a point that I find myself led away, putting paragraphs together that contain words and thoughts that in my many years of journalism actually have factual informal replacing myths that once were thought of as fact. Read more

You probably know to plan and save for the big and boring expenses, aka financial needs. But what about the fun stuff? Expenses that don’t put a roof over your head, but do provide joy, rejuvenation and other hard-to-quantify benefits are worth saving for, too. Read more

Today’s linguistic lesson is a two-parter. Well, if you really want to get into it, it could potentially be several parts. And, when I say “parts”, I mean body parts. Read more

In addition to the new year bringing confetti and a fresh calendar, it’s a time to set big money goals for the next 12 months. That might mean finally paying off debt, buying a house or taking a long-delayed vacation. Read more

As we close out another distressing year, I find myself reflecting upon an irony of our Age: The more “enlightened” we become, the less we seem to appreciate the importance of illumination. Read more

So here we are, folks. We’ve slithered into a new year and look forward as to what’s to come. I use the words “look forward” because as I see it, we certainly don’t want to dwell on what hindered us in the past. Of course, with this new virus descending upon us, we still have to be very careful how we go forward shielding our faces, etc. so none of us succumb to this threat. Read more

Many adults find themselves helping their aging parents sign up for Medicare, a complex process with many steps and considerations. There are penalties for delaying enrollment, and not everyone understands their options. Read more