by design | Mar 9, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector Forgive me for not understanding what’s going on in this world. Not much makes sense anymore. Computers, cell phones, and iPads confound me. I’m not sure that all the gadgets in my car are working right now. I open the hood of the vehicle and just...
by design | Mar 2, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector The Knoxville Focus weekly newspaper is where I had the first opportunity to publish any kind of work. I am forever grateful to Steve Hunley, Charmin Foth and Marianne Dedmon for the support they have offered over my tenure with The Focus. Most of...
by design | Feb 23, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector I’ve listened to several news reports about countries other than the U.S. lately. One thing in particular has caught my attention: so many other country leaders and their citizens speak English. The citizens sometimes make mistakes in word choice or verb...
by design | Feb 16, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector I’m a big fan of YouTube. Changing things that I enjoy watching is easy, and most videos are short, a fact that suits my shortened attention span. One of the best “channels” is “Everything Auto.” The company featured is in Gatlinburg; it tows...
by design | Feb 9, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector I’m snuggly tucked into my porch office. Since the room has no HVAC vent, the tiny heater I use is working overtime to keep the cold away. The Grammy Awards are playing on the television in the family room, but I have no interest in watching even...
by design | Feb 2, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector The prognosticators are telling us that the coming weekend will include a major winter weather event. I love the way that those who predict the weather use words like “event.” They make a snowstorm or ice storm, a rainstorm or a heatwave sound as if the...
