“Everyone’s talking about the weather,” a famous newspaperman once remarked, “but nobody does anything about it.” That’s one of many quotes often mis-attributed to Mark Twain, but … more

March Madness? It’ll soon be here. But not for me. Not this year. Not, in fact, in a long time. I think I’ve grown immune. Not that I was ever especially mad about March Madness, though … more

It’s been said change is the only thing that’s constant in life. That may be true because, as someone else has said, time and tide wait for no one. Change is all around and as Bob Dylan sang … more

Just a couple of weeks ago, I used the bully pulpit of this column to write about the chilly stretch of weather we were enduring at the time here in the mostly moderate middle of our southeastern … more

If anything, politics has shown itself over time to be an arena for misinformation, either intentional or inadvertent. Chatham County is faced with that now. A recent advertisement on the … more

Long ago and far away in another world and another time, weather forecasting was a different animal. Tribal folks, nomads, even city dwellers got their hopes up or down by observing the heavens or … more

There was a moment in last week’s Pittsboro Board of Commissioners meeting which spoke volumes about where the town is and where it’s heading — a moment which underscored the need for Pittsboro … more

Many of my Facebook friends post cute pictures of children, grandchildren, and fur-babies. Many Facebook users also post rants about the immorality of our culture, making known what they are against … more

The neighborhood where I live has the usual trappings of a residential subdivision, from the pond that greets its entrants, to its people and their pets, its many mailboxes, its front doors festooned … more

Allow me, please, to give one more nod to thoughts about the “New Year.” We’re now well into it, so much so that it’s really no longer “new.” January is done, or will be pretty much so by … more

Betwixt and between all the compelling news of the last week — the big (impeachment trial, coronavirus, etc.) and the very bad (Kobe, the rapid spread of said coronavirus) — there was something … more

Where weather is concerned, I prefer warm to cold. Without polling, I would think my temperature preference might be nearly universal, shared by all sane and sentient citizens. But if there … more

“God Sent Pennies From Heaven” would like to thank each one for their donations in 2019. Your change and offerings came to $536 this year. Once again, every penny and dollar was given to the West Chatham Food Pantry here in Siler City, to be used to purchase food for those in need. more

It used to bother me when I’d hear someone say they don’t have time to read...until I became that person. While I used to, in the not-distant past, knock out about a book a week, it now takes … more

We gave the first season of “The Chatcast” a name with two meanings. “The Age of Anxiety” represented not just the time we live in ­— where there are a million things that can cause stress, from social media to world news to student debt — but also the teenage years, where a combination of brain chemistry and the sheer amount of things on their plates cause high numbers of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. more

As I pile up more birthdays, a couple of things come to mind. One is that I’m glad to still be having them. The other is that even though it’s been some time now since he slipped away — … more

As the clock ticks on and the years go by and I have more birthdays, I seem to pay more attention to time. I don’t think it’s an obsession and I don’t understand it any better than before; … more

The Gospel of Matthew paints a picture of King Herod as a lying, conniving, egomaniac (see Matthew, chapter 2). Other historical sources tell us this ancient king was even worse. Herod was granted … more

A popular bumper sticker implores us, with just one word and several symbols, to “coexist.” It’s a noble and necessary aim — coexistence — but it isn’t always easy. This is true on a … more

Obviously, spring isn’t the only time many folks clear up and clean out things. The end of one year and the beginning of another also can serve that purpose. At our house, particularly in my study, … more