Opinion

I glanced up from my paper this morning to see a news alert: "Hammerin' Hank Aaron Dies at 86!" Oh, no! My memory raced away, back to 1974, where in the face of numerous death threats, Hank went after the Babe's revered homerun record, and smashed it. I wish I could have known him.

Like Will Rogers, I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm an OLTACer, as in Old Lake Tahoe Athletic Club, "Old" being the operative word. Yes, we are 10 members strong, and our good-natured motto is, "I don't give a (fill in the blank with your own inappropriate word) what you think."

I get a lot of demands these days from politically correct socialists who whine and try to tell me what I can and cannot say, and/or how.

As a general rule I don't let anyone tell me what to say or think. I don’t tell other people what to; say, think or do and I don’t let others censor my thoughts or words. First Amendment precedent establishes my right to say almost anything, within reason, and everyone has this same right because government is expressly prohibited, by our Constitution, from abridging any peaceful speech (or thought) in America.

It has become my obsession over the past 10 months to ascertain exactly how little or next to nothing I can do, and still be counted as, "amongst the living." This act of social downsizing has taken me all the way down to the examination of lullabies.

Truth matters. Character matters. Liberty matters. And for these reasons, I’m a man without a party.
I left the GOP yesterday, at least, officially. I may have just changed my voter registration to nonpartisan, but I didn’t vote for Trump back in 2016.

One of the most overlooked pieces of noteworthy scientific advancement buried by the pandemic of 2020 occurred in Uruguay. Yes, right out of Ripley's Believe It or Not, a group of Uruguayan scientists announced that they had successfully modified the genetic makeup of a group of sheep to make them glow in the dark.

Most of us might agree, 2020 was the annus horribilis of our lifetime. But just as the darkest cloud has a silver lining, 2020 has offered one thing about which we can all brag and be proud. I can't think of what that one thing might be just now, though it does occur to me that learning how to cut our own hair might be a thing to celebrate and be genuinely proud, unless of course you're a barber.

Of the many lessons to be learned from 2020, not the least of which is that there's no such thing as a non-essential person.

To insist otherwise degrades the value of human dignity. Kind of like the way Henry F. Potter made George Bailey feel on Christmas Eve one year at the end of World War II.

This time of year I always think about Cappy. In charge of Ski Incline in the early days, Cappy Cook was a hail-fellow-well-met, on and off the slopes. He played in the Rose Bowl for Stanford in '52, ran a packing outfit in Yosemite, coached our Junior National Ski Team, and his handshake would leave me crippled for days, so of course I never ventured to give him a hug.

Science has always been a passion of mine, partly because I flunked science in high school and have never understood why. But I stumbled upon a gemstone of science the other day that would make the most lettered academic in the world smile.

To say 2020 was a crazy and eventful year would be an understatement. I think just about everyone can agree on that. But in the midst of a pandemic, a summer of protests, and an election year that shattered records, (pick a category, any catagory) it seems nevadans also found alot to disagree on. It was easy to see if one attended any of these protests.

When Bobby Kennedy was tragically shot and killed in 1968, his killer was set upon and wrestled to the ground by Rafer Johnson. For those too young to remember, Rafer Johnson was the first black captain of a United States Olympic Team, and was crowned the best all-around athlete in the world when he won the decathlon in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

On a recent Saturday night I went to see the James Bond classic Goldfinger at Carson Stadium Cinemas, 2571 N Carson St. I'd seen that movie when it was released in 1964, and I have the DVD as part of a boxed set of James Bond films, but I was thrilled when it appeared on the marquee because there is nothing like seeing a movie made for the big screen on an actual big screen.

Most of us have long known from personal experience that humor, laughter and smiling are good for us. So it is reassuring to read Doctor Miller's assessment: “Heightened stress magnifies the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes. Having a good sense of humor is an excellent way to relieve stress and anxiety and bring back a sense of normalcy during these turbulent times."

This is a response to the following article originally posted here on Carson Now:

I am writing today to vehemently oppose the removal of flashing lights on the highway that inform drivers a light is about to change.

The general consensus of our community with whom I've spoken to seem to agree that this would be a disaster.

Since the first Thanksgiving feast held 400 years ago, the turkey has served as an enduring icon of one of America's most beloved holidays.

Appearing as a plump, grandly plumed image on everything from collectible trinkets to practical place settings these days, the tom turkey has long symbolized the blessing of bounty celebrated by Americans each Thanksgiving Day.

The prevailing belief amongst leaders of nine nuclear powers is that Weapons of Mass Destruction are a deterrent. So far so good. However, there is also a belief simmering in the minds of a few revanchists, that WMDs might be useful in exacting retaliation or retribution for various grievances.

As we approach the end of this memorable year, I can’t help but reflect on how much we still have to be thankful for at Carson Tahoe Health.

Thankful for our dedicated healthcare providers, hospital, and administrative staff who remain steadfast in their mission to provide the very best care possible to all of our patients. I’m so very thankful for our team’s ability to be focused, yet flexible, in this constantly evolving, healthcare crisis.

Same old squishy Amodei?

Yes, I voted for him again. Was there a choice, THIS year? Not trying to insult anyone or go off tangent with irrelevancies, NO.

Let go of your fear and hate to discover what you love. One should not let what they hate, blind them to what they love. Like Jefferson, I love life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in that order. Though I do hate murder and slavery I do not let it define what I love. Though Life and Liberty are defined by the Constitution in America, the pursuit of happiness is an individual choice.

Most people are aware that when they turn 65, they become eligible for Medicare. However, what people don’t always understand is that there are options available beyond Original Medicare — the healthcare benefits you receive from the government.

Hobbes was wrong. Life is not nasty, brutish and short. Life is nasty, and brutish, but long enough to embrace civic grace, public good and a life of purpose. By coming together in 2021 we can turn a horse chestnut into a chestnut horse, and join Dinah Washington in singing, "This bitter earth may not be so bitter after all."

Phunny, the things our minds turn to when left to daydreaming in the midst of a pandemic. At times we torture ourselves with guilt over the slightest of grievances. Today, for me, it was my little brother, Luigi. His real name was Larry, but along the way, for some reason, I don't know why, we started calling him Luigi.

The Nevada Day Committee got it wrong this year. By selecting "My Favorite Nevada Moment" as the theme for 2020, the committee has left people like me out.

I can't whittle my experiences in Nevada down to just one favorite.

My philosophy? Ok… Maybe a few questions: After long evaluation, I have decided to write down some of my philosophy and personal thoughts, politics included, which may or may not be agreed with.

Fact Sheet: Unlawful Militias in Nevada

What is a militia? Federal and state laws generally use the term “militia” to refer to all able-bodied residents between certain ages who may be called forth by the government to defend the United States or an individual state.
See 10 U.S.C. § 246.

The net proceeds of mining tax is based on a 150-year-old formula written into the state constitution. Mineral extraction is taxed at between 2 and 5 percent of gross revenue, less operating costs. Last year that formula produced revenue equal to just 1.6 percent of gross proceeds.

Quoted directly from Stacie’s website. (These are also the themes and contents of news articles about her speeches and interviews.)

I have a Huckleberry friend who has kept me humored during the pandemic. Huck is a Steller's jay, his species is named for an 18th century German naturalist, but his name comes from a boy who had some adventures out on the Mississippi River in the 19th century, as immortalized by Mark Twain.

It seems that every four years we’re told that, “This is the most important election in history!” In 2020, that axiom seems more true than ever. As the president of the Nevada Republican Assembly, there are some important issues of which I’d like to make everyone aware.