Open for Business

05/11/2025

Dennis E. Powell contemplates grocery stores annoying reorganizations. "It was the day that I stopped forever my weekly visit to Kroger. The COVID-19 epidemic was underway, and we were advised to stay away from each other. It was cold, and the forecast was that an ice storm would hit about sundown (made an hour earlier each year for no good reason by the switch to standard time)."

It was the day that I stopped forever my weekly visit to Kroger.

05/11/2025

Jason Kettinger gives out a playlist of music he shared with his nephew. What do you think of it?

It reflects me as much as him. But isn’t family truly the shared experience of knowing and enjoying one another? He likes Gracie Abrams, so I put “That’s So True” on the list, because I like it, too. She’s like a Jewish Taylor Swift; even to say it like that feels like a massive compliment...

29/10/2025

Dennis E. Powell takes us through three "balls of confusion" in a story about wasps, baseball... and Google. https://ofb.biz/sa1364

29/10/2025

"We all love to hate : it is imperfect, but unavoidably useful; biased, but somewhat correctable. Could take what is good about it and round off the rough edges? _Maybe._"

We all love to hate Wikipedia: it is imperfect, but unavoidably useful; biased, but somewhat correctable. Could Grokipedia take what is good about it and round off the rough edges? _Maybe._

29/10/2025

Jason Kettinger writes, "And what’s really galling about this casual misandry is that it’s highly selective. Not too many people are embracing celibacy and sexual abstinence on account of men. This 'reproductive right' is apparently only the right to kill the products of their conception."

When I wrote “The Democrats Who Cried Wolf,” mentally, this was the next column. Alas, life. You have been in good hands, I know.

16/10/2025

"Cold water, applied suddenly, can be inspirational," writes Dennis E. Powell. For him, the inspiration leads on a journey about more efficient roofing...

Cold water, applied suddenly, can be inspirational. I was reminded of this Friday morning when, mid-shower and all lathered and shampooed, the gas ran out. It wasn’t a matter of jumping out of the shower, either. I had to rinse it all off first. So I wasn’t just surprised by the icy blast. I had...

16/10/2025

Beyond the fancy set of the average TV studio broadcast, there is a set of giant cameras and accompanying crew. In the era of everyone-as-a-broadcaster, OBSBOT_Official 's Tail Air offers a bit of that high production value without the high price tag.

Beyond the desk and fancy backdrop of the average TV studio broadcast, there is a set of giant cameras, each with a technician behind it, panning to follow movements on set. In the era of everyone-as-a-broadcaster, OBSBot’s Tail Air offers a way to achieve a bit of that high production value witho...

03/10/2025

"The NFL’s decision to make a 'gender non-conforming' star who doesn’t sing in English the halftime performer is _not_ important to world events. But it is a symptom of a big problem in how we deal with our big problems."

The NFL’s decision to make a “gender non-conforming” star who doesn’t sing in English the halftime performer is not important to world events. But it is a symptom of a big problem in how we deal with our big problems.

23/09/2025

"Charlie Kirk’s Killer Was A Progressive Bigot Who Gave Up On Debate," says Jason Kettinger . "Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about it all. Pluralism as an absolute is relativism; a relative pluralism honors the individual search for truth." https://ofb.biz/sa1353

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about it all. Pluralism as an absolute is relativism; a relative pluralism honors the individual search for truth.

18/09/2025

"The events of the last week have captured the news media, the commentariat, and the online amateur philosopher sites -- TwitteX and suchlike. Though they are connected, I think therein lie two separate compelling stories."

The events of the last week have captured the news media, the commentariat, and the online amateur philosopher sites — TwitteX and suchlike. Though they are connected, I think therein lie two separate compelling stories. Here, I hope to tell both of them, separately.

10/09/2025

This week, Jason Kettinger talks about Lincoln and today's flawed politicians. "The country we have now, if there is something to preserve, we owe it to Mr. Lincoln."

If you must know, the politician I admire the most was nevertheless wrong about most issues: William Jennings Bryan. So sticking up for Lincoln is not something I do from ideology, or if it is ideology, it’s only in the broadest possible sense. The country we have now, if there is something to pre...

27/08/2025

“Change constantly masquerades as improvement and we blindly believe it nearly as often.” Timothy R. Butler reflects on lessons for Apple, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and the rest of us.

The Cracker Barrel rebrand ought to remind everyone, change and improvement are not the same. Amongst others, I hope Apple is listening.