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...
by design | Jan 26, 2026 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector Before I begin, I’d like to offer an apology to my editor for any and all errors that might be contained in the draft I send her. A couple of weeks ago, I had cataract surgery on my left eye. Next Wednesday, I’ll have the other eye fixed. Right now, it’s...
