Opinions

Ruffin’s Renderings: Transitions

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, August 20. 2019

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

Well, the kids have started a new school year. [Full story »]

Geiger’s Counter: It sticks in my craw

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, August 13. 2019

I can remember my grandmother using the phrase ‘it sticks in my craw.’ The word ‘craw’ is slang for crop which is the place in the throats of poultry and birds where seeds are stored as they break down into a digestible form. I have opened the craw of many a dove in the field to see what they were feeding on that brought them within range of my shotgun. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: We’d better move over

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, August 6. 2019

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

I recently completed teaching an eight-week class on Wednesday evenings at Mercer University’s Henry County Center in McDonough. My usual route home takes me down I-75 to the Barnesville/Jackson exit. [Full story »]

Geiger’s Counter: Geezers take heart

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, July 30. 2019

Geezers take heart. I bring good tidings.

I am rapidly closing in on my 65th birthday which is astonishing to me. When I was young, those who were 65 seemed ancient. But, there is no denying it, I am almost there.
All the old sayings about aging are true. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Our country, right or wrong

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, July 23. 2019

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

I love the United States of America. This is my home. I was born here. I have lived here all my life. I’ve visited a few other countries, but I’m always glad to get home to the good old U.S.A. [Full story »]

Flood of 94 was a news event of a lifetime

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, July 16. 2019

The Independence Day holiday in 1994 fell on a Monday. At that time, we were putting out this newspaper and printing several others at the printing plant in Barnesville. We moved production of some papers up and others back to enjoy a long weekend at the beach. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Small Steps and Giant Leaps

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, July 9. 2019

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

On Thursday, July 20, 1969 at 3:17 p.m., the Apollo 11 lunar landing module touched down on the moon’s surface. At 10:56 p.m. on that same day, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin soon joined Armstrong on the moon’s surface. [Full story »]

To serve man

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, July 2. 2019

By Anthony Vinson
advkdv@att.net

Listening to the daily news it appears things are dire. Sounds like the lament of that chorus line of sad sack, moonshine-swilling, perpetual losers from the old Hee-Haw television program. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Consideration

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, June 25. 2019

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

Some of you are familiar with Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s 1971 song, “If You Could Read My Mind.” It’s a great song. [Full story »]

Only one way to end the abortion debate

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, June 18. 2019

Policy is, or at least should be, based on public opinion. Public opinion has always been like a pendulum - constantly swinging. It swings to the far left and then slowly to the far right. The period of time the pendulum spends in the balanced middle, where common sense thrives, is very short. [Full story »]

Designing the news

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, June 11. 2019

Kay S. Pedrotti
kayspedrotti@gmail.com

The more I watch television news, or read the “big” magazines and newspapers, the more I realize that the entire population of the United States (and probably the world) is being duped. [Full story »]

No finer inductees than these

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, June 4. 2019

Walter Geiger
news@barnesville.com

May Wingfield Melton (1923-2014) and Oliver Quimby Melton Jr. (1923-2013) were inducted into the Georgia Newspaper Hall of Fame May 30 during the 133rd annual convention of the Georgia Press Association at Jekyll Island.
[Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Necessary vocations

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, May 14. 2019

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

I recently read a 1955 novel by Leigh Brackett entitled The Long Tomorrow. It’s set a couple of generations after a nuclear war has devastated Earth’s cities. The new Constitution of postwar America forbids the building of cities. People live only in small towns and rural areas. [Full story »]

Cloud of divisiveness hangs over surging economy

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, May 7. 2019

The level of divisiveness on the national political scene is the highest I can recall in my lifetime. Few, if any, of those in Washington have the term ‘non-partisan’ in their vocabularies. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Coexist

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in Opinions

Tuesday, April 30. 2019

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

You may have seen a “Coexist” bumper sticker on some vehicles. We have one on one of ours. The sticker uses the symbols of several religions to spell the word “Coexist.” It thereby makes the statement that people who practice different religions need to learn to live together. It makes the even deeper statement that we need to respect and appreciate each other as we practice our particular religion. [Full story »]