Columnists

It’s just a matter of years ago nobody had cell phones, tablets or computers, as far as that goes. But times have changed big time. Just recently I had a doctor’s appointment in Commons One in Greensburg. As I sat by the front door waiting for my ride to return to Latrobe, I got an idea. As people departed, why not offer them a “good day.” So, as they proceeded to exit, I raised my voice exclaiming “Have a nice day.” Read more

What do you get when you cross Black Friday deals with a continuing pandemic, supply chain disruptions and inflation? Read more

At around age six, I began collecting baseball cards. Almost immediately, I sorted the players on the cards into each of their respective teams and split the teams into American and National leagues. Among the leagues, I alphabetized the team names beginning with “Angels” and ending with “White Sox.” Within teams, I alphabetized the players by last names. Read more

Less than 20 years ago, Pennsylvania — and to some extent the rest of America — spent a five-year period reconsidering history’s first global conflict. Read more

Those cheesy TV infomercials promising “three easy payments of $19.99” were quite ahead of their time. Though calling a toll-free number to buy as-seen-on-TV items is no longer in style, the idea of paying in installments remains popular thanks to a booming marketplace of buy now, pay later services. Read more

In the last three weeks or so, I have held conversations with people who always utter similar verbiage. “I don’t watch television because there’s never ever anything good to watch.” It’s almost a laughing matter to me. If these people realized what words were coming out of their mouths, they may think first before blurting out their attitudes concerning what’s being seen now on the flat screen device. Read more

I wouldn’t say I have a book problem. It’s more like I have a time problem. You see, the pile of books on my bedside table keeps growing. The stack features stories and accounts I’m looking forward to reading, but I just can’t find the time. But this isn’t the entire story. Read more

Emergency preparedness experts recommend that you have a “go bag” and a “stay bin” for disasters: kits with supplies to help you survive a few days if you have to evacuate your home or shelter in place. Preparing your finances for natural disasters is also smart. Having cash on hand, access to credit and the right insurance coverage can help you get through perilous times. Fortifying your home against disasters also can be a good investment. Read more

Johnstown’s Conemaugh Valley was steel’s center in the mid-1800s. Its Cambria Ironworks was one of the most-significant iron and steel works in the world at the time. Read more

Last week I talked about Stevia, a natural sweetener found in many drinks and foods. One I didn’t dwell on but will give attention to today will be dark raw honey. As a past vendor at Latrobe’s Farmers Market, I got to meet many different people from all walks of life. A couple from the area, John and Amanda Harman, sold bee products from their hives. What I learned from them is invaluable. It is something, I believe, everyone should know. Read more

The idea of gaining wealth in flashy ways isn’t new. After all, Charles Ponzi, for whom Ponzi schemes were named, defrauded investors more than 100 years ago with a get-rich-quick scheme built on a foundation of lies. Today, speculative investments, multilevel marketing companies and other risky efforts to turn a profit still lay seductive traps. Read more

If Mr. Rogers has taught us anything, it’s that men can wear cardigans. I know, I know — Mr. Rogers has given us much more than mere sartorial advice. However, when fall weather rolls around, I can’t help but think of how well Rogers wore his after-work zip-up sweaters. Read more

Tens of thousands of Afghans have been flying into Philadelphia and Dulles International airports, where they are being tested for COVID then transferred to military bases. They’ll remain at those bases until resettled in communities across the country. Read more

Whether you call it “The Great Resignation,” “The Great Reshuffle” or just high time for a change, millions of American workers are looking for new jobs — and some have already quit the ones they have. Better pay isn’t necessarily the motivator, labor experts say. Many people are seeking greater flexibility, the ability to work remotely or other nonfinancial benefits. Read more

Recently a good friend and I got into a discussion about sweeteners and in particular, about a certain compound, stevia, that people don’t talk much about. The woman to whom I spoke was led to believe that all sugar substitutes are bad, and consumers are urged to stay away from them. Read more

When was the last time you made a sound decision while wiping away tears? Or shaking in fury? Or sweating with stress? Read more

My daughter likes to ask me what my name is. I say “Dad.” Pointing to her nose, she asks, “What’s this?” I reply, “Nose.” Then she opens her empty hands and asks, “What am I holding?” to which I say, “Nothing.” Putting my answers together, she says, “See? Dad knows nothing.” She’s four. Read more

Why won’t PayPal refund the mysterious $100 donation made from Jon Lau’s account? It won’t say — and it won’t pay the money, either. Read more

Even before the pandemic, home booking sites like Airbnb and Vrbo were becoming increasingly popular with travelers. The opportunity to have a homelike experience, complete with full kitchen, extra living space and local flavor, was more appealing than a standard hotel room for many. Read more

America’s County™ is a marketing brand for the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber created that trademark a year or so after two unrelated events within the county’s lines riveted national attention: the crash of Flight 93 on 9/11 and the dramatic “Nine for Nine” Quecreek Mine Rescue, the following July. Read more

Some 70 years ago, when consumers never imagined that television sets would be instruments of ownership in their homes, did they ever think that neighbors might be tempted to sneak into their living rooms to watch programming on screens smaller than 12 inches. Read more

I grew up in the buckle of the Bible Belt. Although Norman, Oklahoma, is home to a large state school (Boomer Sooner!), the area is steeped in religious tradition. As a child, I wasn’t allowed to cuss, curse, swear or otherwise utter profanity. Read more

As its name hints, Oven Run has a colorful history. Read more

The day was Sept. 11, 2021. I had sprung out of bed a good one-half hour than I should have for I was aware the repairman from Xfinity was due any moment and I didn’t want to be caught being out of it in my dreamland of who knows where. Waking to the hour of 8:15 a.m., I sprung out of the sack, pulled on some clothes, did the usual bathroom stuff, then sat and waited. All I knew was he was expected to arrive between 8 and 10 a.m. That’s all. Read more

Restaurant menus have gone through a rapid evolution over the past few years. Gone are the doorstop-thick novels at places like The Cheesecake Factory; they’ve been replaced with QR codes so we can scroll through appetizers and entrees on our smartphones. Although many paper menus have been replaced with digital devices, ridiculous restaurant terms — or what is known as “restaurantese” — abides. It’s time to unpack some of these nonsensical terms. Read more

Cornelia Spiegel asks for and receives a refund for a coat from Saks.com. Then the company charges her for it again. Can she get her money back? Read more

This column isn’t about my son, although it’s tempting to make it so. Read more

Derry Prebyterian Church will have a booth during Derry’s Railroad Days, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 18-19. The church will be selling $10 discount coupon booklets. The booklets include local restaurants and other establishments in Derry, Latrobe and Greensburg areas. Some of the places include McDonald’s, Round House Pizza, Subway, Burger King and Taco Bell. A reusable coupon panel includes discounts at places like Advance Auto Parts and Dunham’s. The coupons are good until Dec. 31, 2022. A list will be available at the booth. So, come out and support the Derry Presbyterian Church and enjoy the day. Read more

Two days ago, I hit the “big 78.” Do I feel my age? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. On the other hand, we all feel differently from day to day as we take the next step toward our future years to come. Read more

I’ve been getting into native perennial gardening this year. Of all the plants I’m growing, I love milkweed the most. Seventy-three species of native milkweeds grow in the United States, and these plants are the exclusive host plants for monarch butterflies. When people hear “milkweed,” they think of something ugly and undesirable. In an effort to rebrand milkweed, I think we should start calling it “butterfly happy plant.” It could work! Read more

What a difference 20 years make! Read more

One of my favorite subjects to observe is behavior patterns. Ever since I received higher education courses in college where I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, I have often wondered what makes people tick and why they act the way they do. Read more

Have you caught the Crash Blossoms’ reunion tour this summer? If you missed it, it’s because the Crash Blossoms aren’t a real band. They sound like a mid-to-late-90s one-hit-wonder group, whose number one song was called something like “Hey Monica” or “We Met in the Chat Room.” Read more

Pick your poison about the Alleghenies: Read more

When I was in grade school, one of the things I remember is that we had to conjugate verbs. The left side of the wording stated, “I am, you are, he/she is. Corresponding to these words on the right were: we are, you are, they are.” Read more

Have you ever worked with someone or made a friend who spoke a different language? In high school and college, I worked in a few different restaurant kitchens. Almost immediately, I asked some my Spanish-speaking co-workers to teach me the most inappropriate words and phrases in their mother tongue. Read more

The long, narrow picnic pavilion within a stone’s throw of Quemahoning Lake on a rainy afternoon may have seemed an inappropriate setting for a foundation’s annual report. Read more

As far back as I can remember, when guests would come to our house to visit, there were never hugs, kisses or semi-embraces, but a handshake between men and women alike. Read more

Everyone likes to seem smart and sophisticated. It’s why I wear glasses. Instead of saying that I “agree” with someone, I say “I concur.” We all want to come across to the world as fancy, ascot-wearing socialites who clear our palates with sorbet between courses. Read more

Let’s take a break from the dark news of the day to celebrate something bright: the rise of women in American society. Read more

Ever since a man, riding his bicycle, possibly in his 20’s, T-boned my scooter April 1, while as I was traveling along the sidewalk on Ligonier Street near Gertrude Street here in Latrobe, has the collision caused nerves in my head and neck to sound off, letting me know he injured me in some form or fashion. Read more

The real estate market is white-hot right now. As soon as a property hits Zillow, the listing agent enjoys a bidding war above the asking price. In fact, someone stopped by to inquire about the Little Tikes house in our backyard. I had to break the news to the curious couple that our plastic, 20 square foot tiny house property is already under contract and pending inspection. After all, the house’s plastic countertops are so easy to clean. Read more

Moving through the verdant tunnel, neither of us said much. Read more

While most people were browsing the stations looking to view the Olympics Friday evening, July 20, I was doing the same thing for one exception. Everyone else, I assume, found the game he wished to view. I, on the other hand, ended up watching a program on WQED, Channel 13, that held my interest more so than the long-awaited games, believe it or not. Read more

Oh, those crazy -o ending words! What are we going to do with them? Specifically, how do we know how to spell them when they become plural? And how do we make sure we don’t get a misspelled tattoo? Let’s march forward into the mess. Read more

The Games of the XXXII Olympiad are underway here in 2021, although officially these remain the 2020 Olympics – the year that’s stamped onto every medal. Read more

In thinking back some years ago, I’ll never forget the scare Jane’ Mordiach’s son, Jordan, gave his mother one Thursday evening after she got off work during a very hectic day at work. She was notified that it was her turn to pick up the kids at the skating arena and take each home. Read more

We all know the difference between a “whole” and a “hole.” Entire doughnuts and bagels have both! For most things, if they get a hole, they’re not whole. This happens to me all the time with my socks (darn it!). I’ve always thought that “whole” milk must feel superior to other milks. It’s got to be looking down its nose at the other milks: I’m the best there is — I’m whole. Read more

Everyone can think of two words that pop up in conversations regularly. Sometimes they are followed by excuses and other times they are used in sentences and pass as fast as the sentence was spoken. Read more