It's The Pitts

It's the Pitts: Umbrellas And Long Necks

Back in the days when there were a lot more snakes people drank their whiskey straight.

It's the Pitts: Self-Taught

Just my luck, I missed out on two of the greatest concepts in education: the one-room schoolhouse and homeschooling. Me? I was too busy going to school to get a great education.

It's the Pitts: Seconds anyone?

Two entomology professors from the Netherlands are happier than a centipede with new shoes that insects are starting to show up on menus at fancy restaurants in places like London and New York.

It's the Pitts: Dead giveaway

There has been a marked increase in trust funds for pets after the “Queen of Mean,” Leona Helmsley, died and left a $12 million trust fund for her Maltese Poodle

It's The Pitts: Communities of strangers

Newspapers tell us the news, they aren’t supposed to be in the news. Sadly, that’s the case as I read more and more pundits predicting the end of newsprint. Many newspapers, it seems, won’t even be around to carry their own obituaries.

It's The Pitts: This Just-In

Every time my friend who works in TV comes to my house with all his techno-gadgetry he makes me feel like a cave dweller in the dark ages. So when he came by the last time I made sure the TV was turned to a video cattle sale.

It's The Pitts: Sister Cities

When I grew up our small town had what was known as a “sister city.” Ours was in Mexico but other communities had sister cities all over the world, the idea being that by exchanging delegations we could all spread goodwill and learn something too. I don’t know if towns still do this and with all the terrorism around the world it’s probably not advisable. Instead, I think small towns in America ought to exchange visits with huge cities in our own country so they might see how we live, and vice versa.

It's The Pitts: That Awkward Age ( Best Of)

We spend our whole lives wanting to be older than we are. This desire to age more rapidly effects people of all ages. When you are just five years of age the "American Dream" is to be 12. After attaining that lofty perch your next goal is to be 18, then 21, etc. The only people who don't want to be older are women approaching the second anniversary of their 39th birthday.

It's The Pitts: Suture Self

A carpenter friend recently showed me a gruesome scar on his arm that was the result of some surgery he performed on himself with a sewing needle without any form of anesthetic! He said he played doctor and sewed up the nasty cut himself because he had no insurance and felt qualified because he’d once sewn some sails. From the looks of his arm I can only assume the sailboat subsequently capsized or ran aground.

It's The Pitts: On The Horns Of A Dilemma

Auction markets solve a lot of our problems. Not only do they provide the best form of price discovery, they also give us a place to send our waspy critters. Like weary parents who celebrate when their bratty kids are old enough to send to school, (where they become the problems of some poor teacher), we celebrate when we finally get our wild cows corralled and the Gooseneck door is closed.