No one likes to lose. Not exactly a profound declaration, eh? It’s painful. Agonizing, even, especially when there is a lot at stake. The degree to what’s on the line at any point in time, of course, differs from individual to individual

Lists are fun. Lists are inane. Lists are useful. Lists are meaningless. There are, of course, different kinds of lists. Priority lists. To-Do lists. Brainstorming lists. Project lists. Grocery lists. Wish lists. Honey-do lists. Best-of lists. Bucket lists

Undeniably, pandemic times reshaped our lives. From the broader realities of lockdowns, sequestering, social distancing, loneliness, anxiety, and being unable to plan ahead, to working and schooling remotely, job losses

When in this country did we come to the crossroads that indicated it was okay to burn someone’s house down if we disagreed with what they said or believed in? There have always been the yin and the yang, the dark and the light. But why have seemingly large segments of our society veered away from engaging in civil discourse, which seemed, not that very long ago, a plausible path for creating harmony or, at the very least, a grudging respect for individuals or groups with opposing views?

Purists like myself believe baseball is the ultimate game for many reasons. The perfect symmetry between the lines; the one-on-one battles; a history, nostalgia, statistics and analytics like no other sport; the in-game strategies (the games within the game); the ability to actually converse between pitches and innings; a long 162-game season; picturesque ballparks;

Yankees legend Yogi Berra passed away in 2015. Amazing clutch Hall of Famer that he was, the great Yankee backstop was almost as well-known as a philosopher — his Berra-isms (colloquial expressions that lack logic) made a special mark. And like most deep thinkers going back through the centuries, his brilliant malapropisms still ring true in today’s challenging COVID world. Here are a few of Yogi’s best … and my thoughts on same:

Living in the Appalachians is a beautiful thing. I appreciate the appeal of warm-weather locales and big-city bustle and amenities. Having been there, done both, there is something matchlessly special about residing in the mountains and sharing these beautiful surroundings with the folks living in these parts.