I like fried chicken and?

This Jottings was first published on July 21, 1982. Mike Downey, a Chicago imported sports columnist for The Detroit Free Press, recently devoted his space to things he hates. All I could think of when I read it was doing a column on things I like: Here goes: White shoes and white belts, but only […]

A salon experience worth writing about

I took quite a few years, but between my widening girth, my non-lithe body and my 6 ft. 4 in. frame I can no longer cut my toenails. A big toe has an in-grown nail, the one next to it is long enough to curl under and my little toe nail snags the sheets. Something […]

I never knew a boy who was teacher’s pet

(This Jottings was first published on January 17, 2007) I don’t mean to brag (Yes, I do!), but I was the champion speller of the eighth grade in Bancroft. The year, 1938. Yes, I’ll admit the competition wasn’t great, since there were only 12 in that grade, including me. What irks me to this day […]

My 1-room schools

(This Jottings was first published on Thursday, March 21, 1984.)Think about it!Time magazine, which makes such a big thing of it’s covers, showed a 1-room school as a lead to their coverage on “America’s schools are getting better”.Too, the campaign by school-conscious people called “We Care” has as its symbol the 1-room school.Yet, no one […]

Ah, yes, ’tis the season to blame it all on a golf ball

This week, weather permitting, many of us can take up where we left off last October: trying to remove our frustrations by hitting a little ball as hard as we can. Time to return to the links. Time to remember there might be ladies within earshot, or the clergy, and to civilize our tongues. Time […]

News in weather, weight fill the airwaves

This is from the Jim’s Jottings archives. First publilshed on Feb. 9, 2011. The same day the news media was filled with snowfall warnings, our government issued warnings on ‘changes we should make right now!? I guarantee the snow warnings were heeded quicker and with more action than the ‘changes.? We were promised a foot […]

What’s in the back counts ? in cars, too

Editor’s Note: Big Jim is busy relaxing, so enjoy this Jottings gem from March 2006. I’ve become a lot more interested in cars lately. I suppose it’s due partly because mine is four years old, and partly because it’s the season. Starting with the extreme ballyhooing of International Auto Show in Detroit in January, continuing […]

Ah, sports, what a multi-purpose invention!

In the same week recently golf and basketball sports fans were treated to continuous exposure, via television, of replays, plays and diagnoses adnauseam. The most powerful radio station in Michigan (there’s a 50,000 watt limit) WJR, interrupted the most powerful conservative radio mouth in the world (Rush Limbaugh) to bring us the confessions of a […]

Thoughts on ‘news? and generational listing

Two weeks ago I told you the Number One reason for getting up in the morning was to ‘hear the news.? The other Saturday had two ‘momentous? news leads. #1. Flint’s contaminated drinking water has become national news condemning all possible people for allowing this to continue. #2. The news brought Michael Moore to town […]

Things that drink Big Jim to the bottle

Just another cynical Jottings — well it won’t all be cynical, just things that are keeping our government running in Washington. Like: Our congressmen have been especially busy recently making federal rules to protect a bat found in Michigan. Notice I said ‘a bat?! Not a flock, but ‘A? bat. * * * Ham and […]

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