By Gene Hall

Slowly at first, now much more quickly, the Greatest Generation of Americans is passing from the scene. Children in the want of the Great Depression, tempered in the fires of a world war, they had the smarts to go to the moon and the guts to stop the march of tyranny dead in its tracks.

By Nathan Smith, Field Editor

Last week I saw miles and miles of Texas. I traveled to West Texas to visit with cotton farmers about the crop that’s going in the ground as we speak.

They are pouring seed into planter boxes and rolling across the freshly prepared ground. They plant with an optimism that seems to renew each season, no matter how bad the last year hurt. 

On Interstate 27, I saw a sign advertising skydiving. It got me thinking about the huge risk farmers take on faith – every year.

By Gene Hall

 I love baseball. Part of the fun is studying the numbers, the statistics of the game. I enjoy comparing the achievements of today’s players with those of decades ago. A few nights ago, the best player on my favorite team, Josh Hamilton, hit four home runs in a single game. He was only the 16^th player in the more than a century old history of the game to do so. My grandchildren will marvel at that feat someday: “PawPaw saw that game!”

By Mike Barnett

Domino’s Pizza “just said no” to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Shareholders of the pizza giant overwhelmingly rejected a HSUS proposal to study ending the use of pork from suppliers who confine pregnant pigs in gestation stalls.

It’s about time one of the major fast food franchises showed some backbone to the animal rights activist group. Other fast-food companies—including Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s—have caved to their demands, fearing HSUS will stir public outcry and reprisal if they don’t.

By Gene Hall

A new kids’ book called Vegan is Love is unquestionably a clever promotion for the vegan lifestyle. You can find many descriptions of veganism. Pick the one you like. Here is mine: “A vegan is a vegetarian who is also an evangelist for the cause…determined that much of the world will eat in the way they do.”

Before my vegan readers blow a gasket, remember this: this space is reserved for opinion—mine—and you get to answer below, as long as you keep it reasonably civil.

By Nathan Smith, Field Editor

It’s a case study in grassroots power.

A half-cocked rule aimed at restricting young people’s activity on the farm was shot down last week when the Labor Department (DOL) withdrew the proposal.

It’s nothing new to hear of an agency changing their mind, but this time the DOL had help.

The proposal to ban youth from working on farms was withdrawn after thousands of comments–many from Texas farming families–expressed concern about the effects the rule would have on day-to-day farm activities.