Today's Opinions

My last trip to the State Fair probably came on a vacation about the time Jimmy Carter was figuring out he might not get re-elected.

Growing up I had attended frequently, great times with my grandparents and, when old enough, my friends, but as I became more entrenched in the demands of career and family in another state, my personal calendar never really coincided with the fair’s.

So as we often do when transition scoops up our lives and deposits them in cones of change, I replaced tradition with memory.

As a fifth-year teacher in Shelby County Public Schools, I've been impressed with the dedication and professionalism of faculty, staff, and administration. I think we're fortunate to have a good school district. After hearing Superintendent [James] Neihof’s opening-day challenge to SCPS staff to push for our school district to move from good to great, I offer up the following six suggestions.

  One of the most popular channels on television is the Food Channel.

You can tune in and watch experts produce perfect dishes with immaculate presentation in less than 30 minutes. In an hour you can get a seven-course meal.

These are, of course, creations of pure genius using the bark of the elm tree, the juice of the maple and a wild herb that only grows in Lithuania, which the cook picked up at Kroger on a Senior Citizen Day discount. I mean, there’s nothing to this stuff.