Personal expressions of the world around us through text, sight and sound.


Filter Article list:
Article Scope:  

The Author, Category and Topic selectors will reflect the Article Scope setting.

Date range:    
Current: articles posted within the last 30 Days
Recent: articles posted within the last 3 Months
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Hints on searching Articles

Some articles may be restricted—viewable only to logged-in users with the appropriate Security Level.

You can narrow your search using one or all of six criteria:

  1. Article Scope:
    • This Collection Only (default) limits search results to this article "home page."
    • All includes all articles (including blog entries) on the site.
  2. Date range:
    • Current shows articles posted within the past 30 Days
    • Recent shows articles posted within the past 3 Months
    • All includes all articles within the Collection Scope.
    • NOTE: Based on the number of articles found and other filter settings, the Date Scope may be adjusted automatically. However, in most cases you can still use the form to choose a specific range.
  3. Author--regular contributors are listed by name; "special" is used for ocassional or one-time authors. (They are idenitified by name in the article list using a "byline" field in the database).
  4. Category—each article is assigned to one category ( a master category list is used for Articles, Blog Entries, Resources, and similar features on the site).
  5. Topic—each article can be assigned to multiple topics (also uses a master list). You can narrow the search by one topic at a time.
    Even though we try to keep the number of topics limited and as general as possible, the list of topics is long and constantly growing simply because of the wide scope of content covered by aritcles on the site. A good alternative to using the drop-down list is to click on a topic from the Summary View of the Article List, or the category and topic summary at the top of an Article.
    NOTE: Because topics are added over time, some topics may not be associated with earlier articles to which they could apply. From time to time, we update category and topic links.
  6. Keywords
    Looks for a word, phrase or part of a word in the component parts of the article.

Viewing the Results

In addition to the "Most Recent" and "Top Articles" lists, there are three Views of the searchable Article List: (where you are now):

  1. Quick. Shows Categories in alphabetical order, with a list of articles by post date (most recent first), title, author. This is the default view. Return to it anytime by selecting "Clear Filter" in the Article Filter.
  2. Minimal. Shows a list of Categories in which articles for this collection appear, including the number of articles in each category. Activate this view by clicking on "View Category names only" under the gray view description bar.
  3. Summary. Expands a single Category to include a brief description of each article, the primary category, and any topics assigned to it.

Actions from the Article List

  • Click on an Article title to view it.
    • A link at the bottom of the article will bring you back to this page.
    • If you have expanded the Collection Scope to All, and view an article or blog entry outside this collection, the return link will take you to the corresponding "home" page. To return to this page, use the Back button in your browser or use the Site Menu.
  • Click on a Category name to expand the list into Summary View, which will include more detals about the articles within that Category, including the topics associated with it.
    • If you have selected "All" in the Article Scope, the initial Summary View will reset the Article Scope to "This Collection only." From there, you can go back to "All" if desired.
  • Click on a Topic name (Summary View) to see recent articles associated with that topic. From there you can expand to "All" articles or narrow the search using the Filter.
    • There are some categories that also appear as topics. In this case, the filter will set the topic, since that will return the greatest number of results. From there, you can modify the Search Filter to narrow your search.

Actions from the Article (listing of Categories and Topics at top of Article)

  • Click on the Category or a Topic and you will be taken to the Article List page with the search filter set accordingly. (The notes under Article List also apply here).

Printing the List or individual Articles

Using Print this page at the upper left will print the content displayed in the Articles List or an individual Article, without any of the surrounding page elements. The filter form in the list view is replaced with a summary of the filter settings.

Please note: Using the "Print this page" option is highly recommended over the print options available through the Share utility (described below).

Additional Hint: On some smaller devices you may find it helpful to use the Print option to display a simpler content-only view. Depending on the device, you may not actually be able to print, but it may produce a view that is easier to read. You will need to close the print window to get back to the site navigation.

Sharing and Commenting on Article Lists and Individual Articles

There is a lot of discussion about the merits of commenting within a site. At this time we have decided not to integrate it into the site. The AddThis Share utility that appears at the upper left on the page as well as at the end of articles allows you to share the selected page through Facebook, Twitter, and more than 200 other social media services. Most of these options allow you to add comments.

You can also comment through the site's own social media connections, which are linked through the icons in the site masthead (only active social media accounts are shown).


13 articles found.

SUMMARY VIEW  Expanded details within a Category. Click on article title, Category, or a listed Topic

To change sort order or make another search, modify the form above

Arts & Entertainment

 2 records found

Bringing People Along with Me 101 by Garrison Keillor


(December 7, 2023)
I am minding my own business. As James Thurber said, 'Let us not look back in anger or look forward in fear but let us look around us in awareness'…
Topics: Arts & Entertainment • Contemplation, Insight • Education • Language, Meaning • Learning • Media • Music • Popular Culture • Teaching • Writing


The Future of Escapism As I See It by Garrison Keillor


(January 27, 2022)
The new Las Vegas should be in Minnesota…
Topics: Contentment, Satsifaction • Future • Leisure • Lifestyle, General • Popular Culture • Travel



General

 3 records found

Why I'm Looking Forward to November by Garrison Keillor


(October 20, 2023)
It's hard to ignore reality for long. I don't see much hope for Congress in this regard—when you elect people who are anti-government to govern, you must reap the whirlwind—but I see it happening to Taylor Swift.
Topics: Baseball • Hopes & Dreams • Memories • Optimal Aging • Politics • Popular Culture • Seasons • Writing


Listen Up, He Says, and He Means It by Garrison Keillor


(October 13, 2022)
I believe that if you want to see America clearly, don't read the paper, go to a state fair…
Topics: Attitudes • Character, Integrity • Diversity & Pluralism • Hopes & Dreams • Memories • Optimal Aging • Politics • Popular Culture • Relationships


Through the Years by James N. Watkins


(January 21, 2022)
The top ten posts at Hope & Humor…
Topics: Advice, Guidance & Mentoring • Contemplation, Insight • Faith • Humor • Politics • Popular Culture • Prayer



Government & Politics

 1 record found

Why I'm Not Running for Anything Whatsoever by Garrison Keillor


(February 21, 2022)
I want someone to be elected president who doesn’t remember the era of doo-wop and long-distance phone calls…
Topics: Holidays • Humor • Politics • Popular Culture • Voting & Elections



Holidays

 1 record found

The Twelve Sites of Christmas —. . . and no partridge in a pear tree! by James N. Watkins


(December 1, 2015)
We present Jim Watkin's annual list of cartoons and favorite Christmas columns…
Topics: Christmas • Faith • Holidays • Holiday Season • Humor • Popular Culture



News & Current Events

 5 records found

Why I Am Not Joining the Strike by Garrison Keillor


(May 11, 2023)
I salute the Hollywood writers who went out on strike this past week but I can tell you that we essayists won't be joining them…
Topics: Arts & Entertainment • Communication • Current Events, News • Language, Meaning • Media • News • Popular Culture • Writing


Bridging the Divide by Stu Johnson


(January 15, 2022)
A reminder as we look back at The Capitol Insurrection and approach Martin Luther King Jr Day that the divisions we face are not new and that there are ways to bridge the divide…
Topics: Attitudes • Beliefs • Civility • History • Media • News • Politics • Popular Culture • Social Issues • Technology • Trust • Values • Voting & Elections


Conspiracy Theories and Human Psychology by Russell Johnson


(September 18, 2021)
While conspiracy theories may not actually be increasing, awareness of them is, and it is important to understand the role they play in American culture…
Topics: Attitudes • Beliefs • Media • Mental Health • Popular Culture • Psychology, Psychological Health • Social Issues • Social Movements


How is Your News Literacy? by Stu Johnson


(January 28, 2021)
Learn how to be a literate news consumer during News Literacy Week…
Topics: History • Knowledge • Learning • Media • News • Politics • Popular Culture • Social Media • Social Movements


Would You Vote for Deez Nuts? —Iowa farm boy scores big in poll by Stu Johnson


(August 21, 2015)
The wacky, but worrisome, relationship between politics, polling, and media…
Topics: Government • Media • Popular Culture • Research



Sports & Recreation

 1 record found

Hoops Cancellation Withdrawal Disorder by Rusty Wright


(April 5, 2020)
Taking a lighter look at one of the casualties of the pandemic…
Topics: Basketball • Coping • COVID-19 • Crisis • Current Events, News • Faith • Humor • Popular Culture • Sports