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I was adopted the day I was born. 40 years later I found my birth mom.
Baby Boy Neary, that is the name that appeared on my birth certificate. My first one. When my adoption was finalized I got a new certificate with my new name. It bore the name of my adopted mother, Elizabeth Mott, but no father. That is because in a first for 1965, an unmarried woman had…
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Mass deportations won’t work. To stop illegal immigration we need to put Americans in prison.
The unthinkable has happened, Donald Trump has been re-elected as President. He rode a wave of populism, racism, misogyny, bigotry and hate. He didn’t just make campaign promises, he made threats. And people elected him anyway. One of those threats was to deport tens of millions of illegal immigrants. And you don’t need to look…
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At 59 I’m Living Paycheck to Paycheck. Much like some American’s, I’m doing it by choice.
Despite having a strong economy and inflation that is near the Fed target of 2.0, many people are stating – at least claiming – that they are living paycheck to paycheck. Which is defined as households spending 95% or more of their income on ‘necessities.’ According to a 2024 Bank of America survey, nearly half…
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Choosing the trailer length that was right for our RV lifestyle.
There are many options for enjoying the RV lifestyle. From tiny teardrop trailers, to fifth wheels, to giant land yachts. No one RV is right for everyone. My wife and I started our RV adventure as part-timers over 20 years ago. Our first trailer was just 23 feet, a Jayco Kiwi hybrid trailer. We could…
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Women have always made sacrifices. To save democracy, we may have to ask them to sacrifice more.
You don’t have to be a feminist (or perhaps you do) to know that women have always made sacrifices. Whether they give up careers to be stay at home moms or just bite their tongues when denigrated by a man. Women have had to fight and struggle for everything they have. There was a time…
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I owned a small business for over 20 years, no matter how hard I tried I was never able to separate my personal finances from the business.
Right up there with Mom and Apple Pie, being your own boss, is synonymous with America. There is a romantic notion about owning your own small business. How you will be free, that you can become wealthy. As a former business owner I can tell you that the reality is far from this fantasy. If…
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To Boondock or not to Boondock, that is the question.
I remember watching a senate hearing some time ago where the Postmaster General was being questioned by congress about the decline in first and fourth class mail at the Post Office. The Postmaster responded by telling the panel about the decline in mail volumes was due to the increase in the use of the internet…
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We tried Harvest Hosts for our RV travels for one year, it didn’t work for us.
In 2022 my wife and I took my recent unemployment as an opportunity to retire early and change our lives. We sold our house and everything in it, bought a new Grand Design Reflection 150, 30ft 5th wheel, and moved to Washington state. We spent a year staying with our son and his wife, watching…
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After More than 50 Years, a Penguin Killed my Small Business
There is an allure of independence, of freedom, associated with owning your own business. It can be quite tempting to stretch out on your own. But it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I know because I use to have one. And after it had survived over 50 years, it was ultimately done in…
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I Spent 12 Years as a Boy Scout Leader, a little ‘Wokeism’ will probably be good for the organization
In May, the Boy Scouts of America officially announced its name change to Scouting America. The name is reflective of a 2018 decision to allow girls to join Boy Scout troops. Girls have long been welcome to join their Venturing units and Explorer Scouts. But the recent inclusion of girls into the Cub Scout and…