Don't underestimate the lentil. These tiny pebblelike legumes may be a tad frumpy in appearance, but any perceived drabness or lumpiness shouldn't deter you from eating them. more

It was 30 years(!) ago this week that I began working at the Pittsburg Public Library. Having previously worked as a bookseller, I didn’t think there would be much of a learning curve. more

The words of the Bible — the biblical idiom — are the glue that holds good literature together. This is true even in popular music.  more

We are now entering the month of fall and along with that comes treats associated with the fall season. One of those is popcorn.  more

Our crazy dog was barking at a "dragon." What she thought was a dragon was actually a John Deere tractor with the forks attachment on the front-end loader that I'd parked in the yard while she was in the garage. more

Do you have a favorite go-to meal? If so, does this meal include all the MyPlate food groups? An even better question might first be, what are the five MyPlate food groups?   more

A panel of medical experts recently recommended for the first time that doctors screen all adult patients under 65 for anxiety.   more

This New York Times headline captures an important inflection point in the current political campaign: "G.O.P. Redoubles Efforts to Tie Democrats to High Crime Rates."  more

If history is any guide, Democrats do not have a chance — not even a small a chance — of keeping control of the House in the midterm elections. But the question is: Is history any guide?   more

Here’s the next excerpt from “FROM POVERTY TO PRESTIGE, the Autobiography of Laurence Paul Wilson.” In this one, he reflects on being a student at KSTC in Pittsburg. — J.T.K.  more