The Fruit of Our Labor

From the Editor: by Paul Kennedy The auction of a 300-year-old lemon offers a zesty roadmap for retirement planning. Like many of you, I keep a close eye on my retirement savings. It is wise to stay vigilant. But unlike many of you, I don’t need to go online to check my 401(k) balance, or […]

A Choir of Off-Key Angels

UNITED STATES – CIRCA 1950s: Four boys in choir robes, singing, holding candles. Getty Images. By: Paul Kennedy Christmas morning mass. A packed house. The seventh-grade choir center stage in the choir loft above the congregation is, to be kind, struggling. Now typically, I wouldn’t care. Christmas morning church services have always been a bit […]

Glazed and Confused

I am not a doughnut eater. Not really. Oh sure, I’ve eaten doughnuts—everyone has—but I can’t remember the last time I had one. OK, that’s not true. A couple of years ago, an old friend, an out-of-town buddy I had not seen for a long time, showed up at my doorstep early morning with a […]

Fangs for the Memories

By Paul Kennedy Danger lurks. It always does when you’re a kid standing alone on an October evening just this side of Halloween, at the corner of Jackson and Eighth Street. I’m not far from my house, but right now, I’m definitely not close enough either. My buddies have long ago peeled off for home, […]

Being Barbie’s Boyfriend? It’s Not Ken-Tastic

Best advice if you’re thinking about dating the world’s most famous doll with the world’s most popular movie? Run, Ken, run! By Paul Kennedy   I feel for Ken, the poor sap. It’s not his fault. Not really. There are forces at work in the universe we are powerless against. I can speak with some […]