We saw the birthing of a new event in the U.P. this last weekend--the Suicide Hill Mud Plunge in Ishpeming. The Plunge, which involved running a 5K in the woods through a course of obstacles, culminating with about 20 yards of crawling through a pit of mud, seems classically Yooperish. How have we not had one of these ... Continue Reading

I heard the call of the wild this last weekend and camped out. It was the first time in at least ten years, but as I age, I feel that I'm now getting more in touch with the land, the beasts, and my own inner macho self. So we shook the dust and mold off of an old but rarely used two-person tent, went out and bought ... Continue Reading

So now we're hearing that the Post Office is going to have to lay off 120,000 workers. Either that, or raise the price of a stamp to $179. Clearly, there's a problem with the business model. Have you visited a Post Office lately? The employees actually seem friendlier, but it all feels so 20th century--the lines, the ... Continue Reading

The Dow is down more than 500 points.The unemployment rate will almost certainly stay above 9 percent when the new numbers come out tomorrow.A double dip recession may be on the way.And I've just retired. Not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing in this economy. I have to say, I was smart in one respect: In ... Continue Reading

The Tea Party has won. That seems pretty clear.What began as a grass roots movement a couple of years ago has been transformed into an institutionalized political force that has set the agenda in Congress.The agenda, of course, is cut the budget and reduce the size of government. Both political parties are now singing that ... Continue Reading