One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Hill Street Blues. The show was ahead of its time and portrayed a grittier version of police in the city. Many, many shows later followed this concept, but Hill Street Blues was the first. Every show started with the policemen getting ready to go on… Read more »

As Forest Gump said, life is full of surprises. Christmas was nearing. My hardworking father had been laid off at the mines and was trying to find whatever odd job he could just to literally keep the lights on. The season of Christmas, which was always modest in terms of gifts anyways, was expected to… Read more »

Perhaps you are a collector of bobbleheads. You know, those cute figurines you see on someone’s desk or on the dashboard of a passing car. Often during sports seasons, teams will offer everyone attending a bobblehead of a player as a special treat for attending the game. This week I experienced the passing of two… Read more »

If you have not had a chance to watch any of the History Channel’s America Great series, I recommend it to you. On Thanksgiving (naturally), I watched a show called, “Foods that Made America Great”. A common theme among the shows relates to once dominant companies that either lost out to, or at minimum missed… Read more »

Growing up without cable, my childhood summers were filled mostly with games – Monopoly, Aggravation, Yahtzee. And card games – rummy, spades, even poker (no money passed hands, of course, as we had no money to bet). One of my favorite games was 21, as we called it (probably known by most as black jack).… Read more »

If the children in your family haven’t already hinted (strongly) about what they want for Christmas, they soon will (and then comes the fretting about finding the toys and games). Presents bring light and joy to everyone’s eyes. In the movie A Christmas Story, Ralphie, under severe duress, tells Santa he wants a football (instead… Read more »

In Appalachia, there are specific memories for many of us surrounding holidays and celebrations. One of those this time of year is homemade popcorn balls. Homemade popcorn balls as treats originated in our family more as a necessity. Having extra money to purchase candy was not a consideration – so instead of cash, the resources… Read more »

A number of years back, I had the opportunity and pleasure to serve as a member and subsequent Chairman of the Risk Management Association’s (RMA) Community Bank Council. Fifteen Bank CEOs and Executives from around the country provided input and guidance to the RMA as the organization supported Community Banks. Our fall meeting was normally… Read more »

If you are like me, you are probably feeling a little tired about now. On top of all the “normal” things that stress us out, such as work, kids, school, army worms eating my lawn… What are army worms… and why have I never heard of them before? (Ok Leton, get back on topic!) As… Read more »

If you recognize that flow of words (and we know who you are), you are likely a Monty Python fan. Over the years as my children (thoroughly indoctrinated – my wife says brain washed –  in the ways of the Monty) brought home dates, and eventually spouses, I always found it amusing to watch our… Read more »