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Articles written by Dave Scott Jr.


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  • What is Truth?

    Dave Scott Jr., Columnist|Sep 3, 2020

    “A young man sittin' on the witness stand The man with the book says “Raise your hand” “Repeat after me, I solemnly swear” The man looked down at his long hair And although the young man solemnly swore Nobody seems to hear anymore And it didn't really matter if the truth was there It was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair And the lonely voice of youth cries “What is truth?” A few months ago in this column, I mentioned that I was feeling a little nostalgic for the music of my youth and had been digging through my library of LP...

  • Do As I Say, Not...

    Dave Scott Jr.|Aug 6, 2020

    "Resolving an argument on Twitter and leaving everybody satisfied will happen as soon as Sisyphus gets to the top of the hill." ~Dave Weigel Washington Post columnist It's hard to admit it, but I'm not perfect. Yeah, yeah... I know that comes as a shock. After all, I fill these columns each month with so many admonitions and encouragements to my fellow Americans to be kind and empathetic toward each other, therefore I most certainly must practice what I preach, right? Er... ah... um... no, not r...

  • Team Work

    Dave Scott Jr.|Jul 2, 2020

    "He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader." – Aristotle I am neither a child of the Sixties nor of the Seventies. I was born in a moment of time that results in my youthful personal development spanning both decades. This meant that I was too young to participate in much of the counterculture movement and too old to be drawn into a commercial-driven need to possess everything in sight. Then again, I can see how both decades have left a lasting impression on me For better or w...

  • Be kind. Rewind.

    Dave Scott Jr.|Jun 4, 2020

    "You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." – Ralph Waldo Emerson In the days of old, across this great land of ours, there were these wonderful places called video rental stores. These wondrous locations popped up seemingly overnight in shopping centers, strip malls, and stand-alone buildings. The largest went by such names as Hollywood Video, Movie Gallery, Family Video and the granddaddy of them all, Blockbuster ... but there were almost as many s...

  • Knowledge is the Foundation

    Dave Scott Jr.|May 7, 2020

    "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'." Harsh? Maybe. But true nonetheless. That paragraph is a key excerpt from an essay penned by famed science fiction author Isaac Asimov. Published in a 1980 edition of Newsweek magazine, Asimov was...

  • The Times They Are A-Changin'

    Dave Scott Jr.|Feb 6, 2020

    My grandfather was a real stick-in-the-mud. To him, everything new was worthy of one of his classic frowns. He was always distrustful of anything that signified a veering away from his beloved status quo. Food was always to be prepared with the same recipe. Clothes – aside from his Sunday best – were to be practical and long-lasting. New neighbors would be quickly "harumphed" as an unwelcome addition while he peered at them through the blinds. The old man liked things the way they were and cou...

  • Making Plans?

    Dave Scott Jr.|Jan 2, 2020

    A new year means making resolutions, those weak promises you make to yourself that you have no intention of keeping. You're probably not going to exercise more, or lose the weight, or watch less TV, or spend more time with family, etc. I hate to burst your well-intentioned bubble, but if you didn't make all the lifestyle changes you had on your list last year, you're not about to fulfil those wishes this time around. But go ahead anyway. There's no harm in making an effort toward...

  • It's All Greek To Me

    Dave Scott Jr.|Dec 5, 2019

    It is a sickness which somehow comes with every tyranny: to place no trust in friends. – Aeschylus, "Prometheus Bound" Maybe it was a case of too much feasting during the Thanksgiving break. It could have something to do with overdosing on football. And there's the desire to find somewhere else to be rather than listen to another family argument over whether it's "stuffing" or "dressing." Whatever the cause, I found myself searching Google for any little distraction that could help clear my m...

  • The Time Has Come

    Dave Scott Jr.|Oct 3, 2019

    Benjamin Franklin was quite a character. He was a statesman, a writer, a ladies' man, an inventor, and a word thief. You may remember old Ben's famous quote, "..in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." That was part of a letter in 1789 in which Franklin was summing up his thoughts about our nation's then-new Constitution, but in doing so he borrowed that now-famous quote from the author of "Robinson Crusoe". Daniel Defoe penned the phrase, "Things as certain as...

  • The Nonfiction Section

    Dave Scott Jr., Correspondent|Aug 1, 2019

    Those of us who dabble in the occasional do-it-yourself project eventually learn a few "rules of the road," so to speak. We know that you should always "Measure twice, cut once" and "If it can't be fixed with duct tape, you're not using enough duct tape." And then there's the one about the old man who explained to his grandson why he had so many tools: "If the women don't find you handsome, they'll at least find you handy." The key to a job well done is having the right tools and knowing how to...

  • 'Those who cannot remember the past ...

    Dave Scott Jr.|Jul 5, 2019

    ... are condemned to repeat it." – George Santayana Buckle up, buttercup. Let's talk about those who hate. Now, you may not be comfortable using that term to describe those around you (or yourself), but you might recognize a few things in the following paragraphs. And what you discover may make you squirm in your seat. That's okay: self-realization isn't a bad thing, especially if you work to change. Now, you're probably not among the worst and you may not be actively pursuing a life of hate, s...

  • Finishing What He Started

    Dave Scott Jr.|Jun 6, 2019

    Did you have a relative who liked to tell you wild and fantastic tales? Legends, myths, things that can't be true ... or could they? Did you believe Grandpa when he told you that he really did once see Sasquatch in his watermelon patch? Or Uncle Pete who regaled you with fanciful stories of his exotic travels around the globe? Tall tales and wildly spun adventures are pure fun, created for sheer entertainment. With a little thought, we know that it's all make believe. We can hear a story told of...

  • The Nonfiction Section

    Dave Scott Jr.|Mar 7, 2019

    We all start out in this world as innocents. From birth and infancy through childhood and, for some, even into young adulthood, we are bathed in happiness. We know that most disappointments are quickly followed by good times. Entering adulthood, we become more aware. We learn that things don't always go our way. Sometimes what we thought or believed turns out to be wrong. Occasionally we try and fail. But that's just part of growing up. As your grandpa might have said, "Losing once in a while...

  • The Nonfiction Section: To the Best of My Ability

    Dave Scott Jr., Correspondent|Feb 7, 2019

    It happens once every four years. The newly elected (or re-elected) president of the United States of America, with right hand raised, recites the oath of office using the specific language written into the U.S. Constitution by the framers of our government: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” While each president is able to make personal decisions around the eve...

  • Battle of Midway

    Dave Scott Jr.|Jan 3, 2019

    Anyone even remotely interested in 20th Century military history is at least somewhat familiar with the major battles of World War Two. Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and Iwo Jima come to mind. So does the Battle of Midway, a victory for the U.S. Navy that effectively ended Japan’s hopes of Pacific domination. Much as that famed naval assault was a turning point in the Pacific War, 2019’s version could result in a swift end of the Trump era. This could get ugly in a hurry This month brings a key milestone, the midway point of the Trump presidency. And...