Category: Soap Box

Start Soapbox Each night after dinner, my wife and I watch the national news. It has been so depressing lately that, even though I want to be informed, I can hardly stand watching. The constant news of war and people killing each other in the name of religion, territory or riches is simply senseless. You…

START SOAPBOX Climate change is the reality we are living in. It is not going away; it has been clearly established as a fact, IOMCO — or immediately obvious to the most casual observer. The weather is simply becoming more extreme. More tornados, more flooding, more drought, stronger hurricanes and other extreme weather events are…

From the Archives: Originally featured in Kibbles & Bytes #730. Long time Kibbles & Bytes readers will know that I have been writing editorials in the newsletter for some time. Many times when I write a soapbox, I will provoke some thoughtful discussion on our blog, Barkings!. There will usually be a few customers who…

Start Soapbox There were three important decisions that were handed down this week from the Supreme Court. Two giant steps forward were made when the Supreme Court declared DOMA or Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional and also declined to take up the appeal of a California court’s decision to strike down Proposition 8, which outlawed…

Start Soapbox I am an Eagle Scout, and the Boy Scouts were an important and meaningful part of my life. I was a Boy Scout camp counselor and active in the BSA until I left to go to college as a teen. The principles of “Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave,…

Start Soapbox I know that this is a controversial topic, but I am in favor of the proposals that the President made for some additional gun control measures. While most people can agree that universal background checks and more attention to mental health issues are important, I think that it becomes emotional somehow when the…

Start Soapbox I am partisan and political, but this soapbox is strictly non-partisan and social, not political. My message is simple: Please get out and vote! It has always bothered me that such a small percentage of our population votes. In 2008, less than 57% of eligible voters actually cast ballots. Contrast that with countries…

Start Soapbox A business is more than just a money machine. At least that is true for Small Dog Electronics. While Small Dog Electronics was formed by Hapy and myself to provide jobs for ourselves, we have been motivated by much more than that to build Small Dog Electronics for the last 20 years. If…

Start Soapbox This week marked the end of the 20-year operating license for Vermont’s only nuclear power station, Vermont Yankee. Even though the Vermont legislature voted overwhelmingly to deny a renewal of the plant’s operating license, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission overruled the state and granted the aging plant another 20-year license despite a series of…

Start Soapbox There appears to be a coordinated attack underway on women’s reproductive rights. Planned Parenthood, the women’s health organization, is a convenient target and it was apparent this week as Susan G. Komen for the Cure shot itself in the foot by cutting off their funding for breast cancer screening. Then, the rule that…