Appreciating the things in our own back yard (11/13/08)
This week I had a chance to visit Dyess. Most of you probably know that it is the hometown of country music legend Johnny Cash. Dyess has been in the news a lot since the release of the 2005 movie "Walk the Line." The little town of only 515 inhabitants is trying to restore its rich history and give tourists who make the seven mile detour off I-55 something to see...

Too many cats (11/06/08)
Most of you who have been reading Ruth Ann's column over the years probably already know that Ruth Ann is a cat lady. Don't roll your eyes, but, well, I'm just as bad. I'm a sucker for all animals, but I have a soft spot for cats. ...

The (un)appeal of hunting (10/30/08)
I just don't get the appeal of hunting. I know. Gasp. Blasphemy in these here parts, right? Well, before you jump all over me and attribute my first statement to me just being a darn Yankee, let me just clarify by saying that I am not by any means anti-gun or anti-hunting...

Oliver Stone's "W." not the hack job I thought it would be (10/22/08)
This is definitely not the column that I thought it would be. I did something this weekend that I rarely do anymore. I went to the movies. I originally planned on going to see the western "Appaloosa" with Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris and Renee Zellweger, but changed my mind at the last minute. Instead, I bought a ticket for "W.", Oliver Stone's biopic about our 43rd president...

Hershey change leaves chocolate lovers distraught (10/15/08)
EDITORIAL -- DARN YANKEE By MARK RANDALL Democrat News Staff In 1985 Coca-Cola executives came up with the brilliant idea of changing the formula of Coke. The result was a complete and utter disaster, probably one of the biggest corporate blunders ever hatched in a board room. ...

Squished pennies a fun way to remember trip (10/10/08)
I've been on the move for much of the last ten years. In that time I've had the chance to see a lot of the country. I counted one time and I have been to 38 of the 50 states. Every time I have moved I have tried to see the sights along the way. I guess I'm just a big tourist. If there is a museum or historical marker, chances are I'll stop...

Thanks for the memories Yankee Stadium (10/01/08)
It's going to be strange watching the baseball playoffs without the New York Yankees. For the first time in 13 years the lights at Yankees Stadium will be off in October as the team failed to make the playoffs. ...

National media gives the rest of us a bad name (09/17/08)
It's about time! MSNBC announced this week that they are taking Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews off the air as co-anchors of their election night coverage. Apparently, it finally sunk in at the powers that be at NBC that Olbermann and Matthews are just too biased toward the Democrats in their coverage. ...

Learning to appreciate Friday Night Lights (09/11/08)
When I was in high school, I could care less who won the football game. I never went to the games. I thought pep rallies were dumb. I wasn't in awe of the football players. In fact, I could take high school football or leave it. ...

The phone call I have always dreaded (09/11/08)
I was sitting on the couch reading this past Sunday when the phone rang. It was about 9 a.m. "Hi Mark. This is mom." I thought at first, oh what an unexpected surprise. I didn't expect to hear from her. ...

Why tinker with a classic? (08/27/08)
There's an old saying. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. So what in the world would possess Hasbro, the makers of the classic board game Clue, to give a game which has been delighting families since 1949, a makeover?...