EDITOR’S NOTE: The Pioneer is lucky to have a group of dedicated writers and contributors – blessed really by so many talented individuals that are willing to share their writing with our…
Category: Guest Column
BUTCH’S BLOG: A Sad Clown
By Butch Freedman I didn’t watch the ‘state of the union’ address. Bev and I never even considered it. We knew it would be awful and ugly, which by all accounts it…
BUTCH’S BLOG: Two TV Shows
By Butch Freedman I watch too much TV. And I’m not ashamed of it. Some medical professionals claim that watching too many hours of television is bad for your brain, that the…
BOOK REVIEW: “Nexus” by Yuval Noah Harari
By Jim Heffernan I picked this 2024 book because it was the only one I could find in my library that had AI in the title. I’m worried about AI. The usual…
MANY THINGS CONSIDERED: Colbert, CBS and Religion
“I think ultimately, us being mortal, the faith will win out in the end. But I certainly hope when I get to heaven, Jesus has a sense of humor.” – Stephen Colbert…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Another Flavor in the Gumbo
by Neal Lemery “It was February 28, 2006; the first Mardi Gras after Hurricane Katrina had wrecked New Orleans. The great city—The Big Easy—felt half-deserted and distinctly uneasy. More than half the population…
MANY THINGS CONSIDERED: Trump’s White Nationalist Project
“One Homeland. One People. One Heritage” – U.S. Department of Labor social media message (and Nazi slogan) By Marc C. Johnson I am an admirer of the work of Princeton historian Kevin Kruse who…
BUTCH’S BLOG: Know Your Enemy
By Butch Freedman It’s time to stop pretending we can all get along. The divide has become too deep, and too mean. I’ve never been one to “turn the other cheek.” All…
I’VE BEEN THINKING… AI
By Jim Heffernan I’ve been thinking a lot about AI (Artificial Intelligence), and I just don’t trust it. I can’t shake the idea it will not benefit people like me and my…
BUTCH’S BLOG: Writing on the Inside
By Butch Freedman I knew I was being played. It was the journals they were after. The aim was to score a free notebook, not to be in a writing group. What…