Columns
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About Those Two Nice Women Who Helped Me Wipe the Bird Poop Off My Shirt
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We are walking on a tree-lined path through one of Mexico City’s spiffiest neighborhoods when I feel wetness on the back of my neck. The liquid on my hand, on my hair, on my neck, and all over my shirt, is brown. This was either a large bird with serious gastrointestinal problems or the time…
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Barnes a Key Part of the Large Alumni Contingent on Penn State Football’s Staff
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James Franklin’s hire of Deion Barnes as Penn State’s new defensive line coach on Monday now gives Franklin three Nittany Lion lettermen as full-time coaching assistants: Barnes, Terry Smith and Ty Howle. When Franklin addressed Penn State’s Board of Trustees last month, he lauded the program’s 11-2 record and Rose Bowl victory last season, as…
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Secrecy Is Too Often the Norm in Pennsylvania State and Local Governments
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Some government officials find every reason to delay or deny access to public records, then use taxpayer dollars to fight the public in court. We’re fighting back.
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What Did You Do for Spring Break?
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Picture this conversation among several college seniors choosing their destination for their final spring break: “Hey guys, what do you want to do for spring break? Visit Fort Lauderdale, Daytona Beach or Panama City in Florida? How about Cabo San Lucas or Cancun, Mexico? Or we could go skiing in Colorado or Vermont? Maybe a…
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Penn State Wrestling: Jeff Byers Surveys Past Season and Shares NCAA Expectations
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It’s tempting to take Penn State’s wrestling success for granted. Yes, the Lion grapplers have won nine NCAA team titles in the last 11 years when the national tournament was contested. Yes, they’ve captured 32 individual titles over that period. Yes, according to any reasonable definition of “dynasty,” they qualify for use of the “D”…
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Retirement Plans for Small Businesses
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In my last article, I talked about individual retirement accounts. Most investors use their company’s retirement plan to save for retirement. (If you don’t have a plan through your employer, please set up a Roth or individual IRA to make contributions). Saving through your paycheck is easy and many plans now offer auto-enrollment and default…
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Nature’s Ways: Bracket Fungi Are a Visible Part of the Landscape
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Winter is a great time to look at certain elements that are more difficult to see in the forest when all of the trees have their leaves. One of those might be fan-shaped or shelf-like growths that on the sides of trees and stumps. These growths are actually a type of fungus called shelf or…
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Observations from 139 Hours and 152,086 Steps Inside the Most Magical Place on Earth
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The Walt Disney Company had total revenues of more than $82.7 billion at the end of their last fiscal year, an increase of 22% from $67.4 billion the year before. This was enough to rank them 53rd on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies in the United States by revenue. I’ve written about Disney…
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A Weighty Question After a Heavy Lift in Lasch: Is 2023 Penn State Football’s Year?
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LASCH BUILDING — It was almost Getaway Day here for Penn State football on Thursday afternoon. Inside the massive weight facility in Penn State Football’s HQ, the Lasch Building, it was the last lifting session before the Nittany Lions dispersed from campus for spring break. That meant it was a scant lucky 13 hours until their…
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State Patty’s Day: Reflection of Indiscretions
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Two weeks ago at a Penn State Trustee meeting, a number of us who are of a “more advanced” age were discussing some of the traditions at Dear Old State. By chance, one of the very first columns I’d written for StateCollege.com discussed those times in light of State Patty’s Day. Back then State Patty’s…