Wikizines are interactive magazines that anyone can create or edit - and this one is called "soft humor". Here you can find fresh voices and respond in real time. Some members write articles about recent news and trends related to the wikizine's topic, others recount relevant personal stories or share their favorite pictures and video clips. Got an interesting idea or story to share with other members of this wikizine? Well, then put on your journalist's cap and add your own article... Read Full Story

The air lately had felt crisp and cool and the primitive pall of hunting fever had overtaken me. I had been spending my waking hours thinking about hunting, and my sleeping hours dreaming about it. I had even gone so far as to purchase some cold weather gear and my hunting license. I had also gone grouse hunting a couple of times to eastern Washington so I knew where I wanted to go deer hunting this year. The deer were thick in Okanagan county and the prospects never looked better so I made... Read Full Story

I took up two new hobbies last year: fly tying and orienteering. Most everybody knows what fly tying is. One takes an assortment of hooks, feathers, thread and other assorted bits and pieces and assembles them in a certain fashion on a particular size hook for a particular species of fish. I started doing it in hopes of making some extra money but, as so often happens, it was a scam, or if not an outright scam, an unethical enterprise. So I kept the tools and made myself an assortment of... Read Full Story

My son came home today for awhile and we had a cowboy dinner and watched a movie (True Grit) together. It was so nice to see him! My wife made a great dish of barbecued spare ribs and baked beans. My insides objected strenuously but that didn't diminish the pleasure I derived from seeing my boy and eating well. The only thing I like to do better is watch John Wayne movies while wearing my cowboy hat and holding one of my guns. Sounds corny I know, but it adds a lot to the entertainment value... Read Full Story

I don't usually expound on issues involving the government but I find myself more and more puzzled and irritated by the direction of the media and the Democratic party in relation to people and events not only worldwide but here at home as well. Take, for example, the current flap in Congress and the media regarding the emails sent (or received) by an aide in the Attorney General's office about the firing of some attorneys general. There may or may not have been some wrong doing here but it... Read Full Story

During the American Civil War, some Democrats opposed the war and were willing to go to any lengths to reach a settlement over State's Rights and slavery up to and including disunion. These people were labeled Peace Democrats and were, history has shown, incorrect in their assumptions and posturing. Had they gotten their way, America might well not exist. Maybe it's just as simple a matter as a lack of proper education about our Nation's history. May be it's historical revisionists making an... Read Full Story

Hybrids -- pros and cons by Jerry Watson $3.00 a gallon for gasoline! Help! With fuel prices mounting daily, we are all giving more attention to hybrid cars. What are hybrid cars? How do hybrid cars work? Are hybrid cars really worth the cost? Are hybrid cars convenient? Hybrid cars first came into being in Japan before the turn of the century. Honda with their Insight , then Toyota and their popular Prius, followed rapidly by a number of other car manufacturers who began focusing their... Read Full Story

Buying a new home by Jerry Watson Buying a new home, whether your first, a second home, vacation cabin or condo, can seem complicated, even intimidating. Take things one step at a time and before you know it, you'll be unlocking your own front door. The government Department of Housing and Urban Development has a list of nine steps that pose a good starting place for a new home purchase. Decide how much new home you can afford This may seem simple, even trite advice. Many people embark on... Read Full Story

I hadn't ridden a bicycle in many years but when my wife got a nice-looking used one I was struck with the urge to try it out. It was a tall, green job with lots of levers and gears and it looked like a lot of fun to ride. One Sunday morning we all got up and dressed for church. It was a bright sunny day out and while I waited for everyone else to get ready, I asked my wife if she minded if I tried out her bike. "In your Sunday clothes?" she asked. "Sure, I'll just ride it down the driveway... Read Full Story

Here is a favorite short story I wrote a few years ago. It came about as a result of a conversation I had with a former customer, an elderly lady who went to the local senior center once a week to play cards with a bunch of other senior ladies who were, to say the least--well, cards. ELSPETH THE GOSSIP Even with the window closed, you could still hear the bees buzzing around the hydrangeas and the jonquils. The noise wasn't enough to drown out Elspeth Higginbotham though. Everyone at the... Read Full Story