Opinions

Ruffin’s Renderings: Accepting Responsibility

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Tuesday, October 16. 2018

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

According to the most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we have until about 2030 to make drastic changes to prevent environmental catastrophe. [Full story »]

It is never wrong to share love!

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, October 2. 2018

By Beverly Brisendine
beverly.brisendine@gmail.com

It is never wrong to love! Think on this for a moment. How many times have we withheld love from a person whose behavior did not measure up to our expectations? Their behavior could actually be quite disgusting! We think that showing love to such a person would actually show them we condone their behavior. Oh, what about the person whose behavior has wounded us in some way? We certainly feel we are justified to withhold love from such a person. Right? Somehow in the recesses of our minds we have come to the wrong conclusion that unconditional love equals unconditional approval. There was one who unconditionally loved but did not unconditionally approve. It was Jesus Christ. If He did it, He will enable us to do it! [Full story »]

Think about volunteering before you complain

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, September 25. 2018

We just finished up with a very well-attended 45th annual Buggy Days. Unfortunately, there was a huge snafu with the parade that overshadowed what was an otherwise great weekend. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Winning and losing

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, September 18. 2018

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

As I write these words about a week before you’re reading them, the Atlanta Braves are seven and a half games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the battle for the National League Eastern Division pennant. The Braves’ magic number (the combination of Braves’ wins and Phillies’ losses that would give the Braves the championship) is 10. [Full story »]

Wonder full

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, September 11. 2018

By Anthony Vinson
advkdv@att.net

As a child I was filled with wonder and my wondering led to wandering. When cast in chains and imprisoned in classroom dungeons, my body reluctantly remained still, but my mind wandered and continued to wonder. During math class I might be landing on an unknown planet or fighting threats to humanity’s survival. While everyone else was learning grammar or the rules of verse, I was imagining my pencil as a rocket ship fighting to escape earth’s gravity. When teachers or their subjects were too boring, I was prepared with my own learning materials. Was it a coincidence that loose-leaf binders were perfectly designed to conceal comic books? I think not. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Authenticity

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, September 4. 2018

Sometimes before a worship service in which I’m going to preach, I’ll tell the folks staffing the soundboard, “Try to make me sound better than I am.” We share a laugh. But I’m always suspicious that they’re thinking, “We would if we could!” [Full story »]

Geiger’s Counter: The most wonderful time of the year

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, August 28. 2018

Our youngest, Livia Lanier, is now a freshman at UGA. She texted one day last week to let us know she had gotten her football tickets for all the home games in Athens this fall. She was excited and with good reason. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Vote

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, August 21. 2018

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

Whenever an election was approaching, my father, the late great Champ Ruffin, would tell me, “If you don’t exercise your right to vote, they’ll take it away someday.” He started telling me that long before I became eligible to vote in 1976.

I figured he was exaggerating to make his point, which was that I should vote. It turns out he wasn’t. [Full story »]

Patriot Games

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Rachel McDaniel

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Monday, August 13. 2018

By Anthony Vinson
advkdv@att.net

In the aftermath of 9/11 patriotism became less a matter of principle and more a matter of pride. The American flag went from symbol to selling feature. Lapel pins, soda cans, beer bottles, blankets, beach towels, bumper stickers and more came stained in the likeness and colors of Old Glory. When political candidates neglected to stick ceramic flag pins to their clothing, they were quickly called out by the media and denounced by the public. Flyovers by military aircraft became standard fare at professional sporting events. The country bristled and crackled patriotic. More so than during the year-long Bicentennial Celebration of 1976. [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Faces and Heels

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, August 7. 2018

I used to watch professional wrestling. [Full story »]

Geiger’s Counter: Back to school back in the day

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, July 31. 2018

Though August is only just about to begin, we are busy writing about and covering the start of school. Yes, I’m old but I never started a school year until after Labor Day. [Full story »]

Watching ‘Sharp Objects’ a surreal experience

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, July 17. 2018

Watching the first two episodes of HBO’s ‘Sharp Objects’ has been a true education for me in that I was privy to some of the preparation and location scouting that preceded the filming of the series’ exterior scenes here last summer. [Full story »]

The Star-Spangled Banner

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, July 10. 2018

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

As the sun arose on Sept. 14, 1814, a man on a ship several miles away from Fort McHenry, which guarded the Baltimore harbor, saw that the American flag still waved over it after many hours of British bombardment. Inspired by the sight, that man, whose name was Francis Scott Key, wrote the first verse of a poem that he later expanded to four verses. And thus was born what we know as “The Star-Spangled Banner.” [Full story »]

Ruffin’s Renderings: Stick to the point

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, July 3. 2018

By Mike Ruffin
ruffinml@gmail.com

Latin terms name the two basic choices we have when discussing, debating or arguing with someone.

We can use ad hominem arguments. Ad hominem literally means “to the man” (we would say “to the person”). Someone using an ad hominem argument attacks the other person rather than discuss the issue. [Full story »]

Thanks to those who honored Flag Day

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Rachel McDaniel

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Tuesday, June 26. 2018

For those who showed up to the June 14 National Flag Day Observance and Flag Retirement Ceremony, thank you! I also thank those of you who gave up your faded, worn and tattered flags to be properly retired. For those not present and who provided their flags, I can assure you that your flag was respectfully retired and individually honored. Approximately 100 flags were retired. If you missed out on dropping off your flag or flags, in the future, you can drop it at the Post 197 Flag Drop Box (repainted mailbox) in front of the American Legion Post facility on Meansville Street in Zebulon or the Boy Scout Troop 37 will accept your flag to be retired. [Full story »]