By Joe Rector Since the demise of the U.S. economy in 2008, too many Americans have lost their jobs. In Tennessee 424,000 parents have lost them, and that number doesn’t include the people who are no longer looking for work. (Kids Count Data Center) It’s a sad situation, one that breaks the hearts, hopes, and […]
By Joe Rector I’m fascinated by business pitches on television. Some of them, such as E Trade or Aflac, are funny. Others like Northern toilet paper or Viagra are nothing short of inappropriate. One thing is for sure: none of them paint life as it really exists. One particular subject confounds me. It’s the commercial […]
By Joe Rector Okay, let’s try to sort things out. The House of Representatives Republicans don’t like Obamacare. They want to defund it, delay it, or do anything else to stop its implementation. So, they refuse to fund the budget with a continuing resolution unless provisions to kill the law are included. Democrats in the […]
By Joe Rector My daughter Lacey and her family had a scare not long ago. It made us all re-evaluate our feelings toward the people and things we love. Well, at least that’s the effect it had on me. Madden was spending the weekend with his grandparents in Huntsville, Alabama, and Lacey and Nick were […]
By Joe Rector One of the most favorite things about summer to many is the chance to go barefoot. In other areas of the country, we Tennesseans are believed to be shoeless all the time. The fact is that I’ve never been crazy about going without shoes. Doing so has always caused nothing but troubles. […]
By Joe Rector Believe it or not, Americans can be a rather nice people. Oh, we have our weaknesses and often display less than model behavior, but at the same time, we are quick to come to the aid of others or to perform acts of kindness. Our “good” sides are often taken advantage of […]
By Joe Rector It’s hard to believe that July 4th marked the middle of summer for school kids. I still reel with the knowledge that schools open their doors the first part of August or the last of July in some places. What happened to the policy that school began the day after Labor Day? […]
By Joe Rector joerector@comcast.net I’ve tried to write this piece a couple of times but found it almost impossible. The key is to put it on paper without sounding preachy or religiously stilted. So, here goes another attempt. The main characters in books, TV, and movies are increasingly expressing their doubts or disbeliefs in a […]
By Joe Rector I’d listened well, so when our anniversary arrived last December, I bought a tent, sleeping bags, tarps, and air mattresses for a new activity. Amy has this burning desire to camp and hike, things quite different from my preferences for sleeping in my own bed and mowing the yard for exercise. I’ve […]
By Joe Rector It’s summer time, and one never comes around that I don’t remember the good and bad times I had during these months when I was younger. Twin brother Jim and I awoke to the morning air heavy with the perfume of honeysuckle, and we played hard all day. When we reached high […]
The opinions expressed by Focus columnists and those providing comments are theirs alone, and may not reflect the opinions of The Knoxville Focus or any employee thereof.