I recently spent a relaxing week’s vacation at the beach. I’m not a, “sit on the beach and worship the sun” kind of guy. I’m of Irish descent and, unfortunately, my fair skin is sun...
A summer correlation, fireflies and the MDS
By
Joel VanEaton
Jul 09, 2024
This time of year, I love to sit on my back porch and watch the fireflies dance in the twilight. Something from my childhood, I suppose. This year they seem particularly bright. Almost like fireworks...
Do you know how to play SPADEs? MDS starts a new game
By
Joel VanEaton
Nov 28, 2022
Do you like playing cards? I do. I find it enjoyable to gather friends together for an evening of card playing. I would be lying if I didn’t say that there was no competition involved. Mostly though,...
The Northwoods, summer reflections and the ICD-10 connection
By
Joel VanEaton
Jun 11, 2024
When I was 11 and 12 years old, my older brother and I spent two summers with my grandparents, who lived on a lake in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. It was spectacular. They owned 10 acres of undeveloped,...
MDS meets VBP: I love a good value, don’t you?
By
Joel VanEaton
Oct 10, 2022
I love a good value, don’t you? It’s hard to find one these days in this economy. Recently a friend of mine purchased a used vehicle from a reputable local dealership. Within a week, the engine...
“No man is a failure who has friends” — an MDS Merry Christmas
By
Joel VanEaton
Dec 20, 2023
As Christmas and the new year approach, I get nostalgic. I like to think back on good old childhood memories. For me those are the 1970s and ’80s. I remember one Christmas, I was probably 7 years...
The MDS reminds me of something in Narnia?
By
Joel VanEaton
May 16, 2023
I am a fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have not read “The Chronicles of Narnia,” you should. You may have seen the more recent three films based on these books. As good as they were, as is usually the case,...
The coming cicada invasion. Can the MDS compete?
By
Joel VanEaton
Feb 20, 2024
I am constantly reminded how the complexities of nature astound me. Recently, I became aware of the impending cicada invasion that will happen this year in various regions of the United States. According...
The movie is never as good as the book… usually
By
Joel VanEaton
Jun 13, 2023
Have you ever read a really good book that was subsequently made into a movie? I have. Time after time, after watching the movie, I end up walking away thinking, “I wish I had just stuck with the book…...
An MDS affair — or RFI — to remember
By
Joel VanEaton
Apr 19, 2024
I’m a sucker for classic movies. My parents made sure I grew up watching black and whites of the likes of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Gene Autry, John Wayne,...