Jennifer Finch, the bassist for influential rock group L7, died Saturday after a battle with brain cancer. She was 59. benandsteve.com/obituaries-a...

The Ordinary Things Day Chapter 1 Part 3, The Bread Box Doesn’t Understand Waste There was a time when a stale loaf of bread wasn't considered the end of its usefulness. It became toast, stuffing, breadcrumbs, or tomorrow's breakfast. The old bread box remembers those days—and quietly wonders if…

The Ordinary Things: Chapter 1 Part 2 The Bread Box Remembers Every kitchen once had a bread box. It never baked a loaf, never asked for praise, and never spoke a single word. Yet, for generations, it quietly protected what would feed the family tomorrow. We eventually decided we no longer needed…

THE ORDINARY THINGS Chapter One: The Bread Box We threw away the bread box because we believed we no longer needed it. Years later, many of us are still trying to understand what disappeared with it.

Before You Buy the Promise Again – Stop. And, See What You Have… Before You Buy the Promise Again Every election season brings a new collection of promises. Lower prices. Better jobs. Less government. A brighter future. But before accepting the next round of campaign guarantees, perhaps the most…

Lessons From a Barber Chair Some of life's greatest lessons aren't taught in a classroom. They're learned by watching someone quietly do the right thing when no one expects it. In a one-chair barber shop in a small Oklahoma town, my father never preached about fairness or equality. He simply…

Here is Something New, In An Old Way… Two pages are returning to benandsteve.com. Find out whichones and learn what that means for the site where Truth Endures. Have a safe and happy summer.

Mary Morello, the American educator and lifelong activist who founded the anti-censorship organization Parents for Rock and Rap, has died at the age of 102. A steadfast defender of free expression, she established the organization in 1987 . benandsteve.com/obituaries-a...

The Old General Store Is Still Open The internet keeps telling us we need to be bigger, faster, flashier, and filled with the latest gadgets and gimmicks. But what if that's not what people are really looking for? At benandsteve.com, we've always believed in something a little different—a place…

SPECIAL STATEMENT FROM BENANDSTEVE.COM A special statement from benandsteve.com concerning who is a Notable Person...

Johnny Gage Has Answered His Last Call: Remembering Randolph Mantooth To millions of television viewers, Randolph Mantooth was Johnny Gage of Emergency!. But his greatest legacy reached far beyond Hollywood. For generations of EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, and first responders, he became an…

This Election Year What WIll You Do? What Will You Do? This election year what will you do if you are confronted with the fact that your vote may not count? Or, you are being denied the right to vote? Or, you know someone who is, that has the right to? What will you do? What will you do?

The Beast of Muddywater Lagoon There are reports of a creature in the towns lagoon. And soon the whole town is going to know. But not before two of the towns citizens are first to meet it...no one believes them at first it isn't until a pair of brothers see it, is it taken seriously. And, by…

J.W. Sims The Man at The Still: Part III Cannon Ball Joe But the stories remain. J. W. Sims ran from the law on the back roads of Oklahoma. Joe "Cannon Ball" Cannon spent his life chasing men just like him. One hid whiskey in the woods. The other smashed stills in the name of justice. And…

JW Sims: The Man At The Still – Part II An abandoned farm. A hidden still. A dusty road leading to Stella, Oklahoma. J. W. Sims thought he had found the perfect place to outrun the law. But in Prohibition-era Oklahoma, every back road eventually led to a reckoning. The Road to Stella — where…

The American Flag Is Meant to Be Flown, Not Worn. United States Flag Etiquette 101 www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/anti...

Federal Agents Raid Farm In Early 1900s – JW Sims Farm – Recover Still – Liquor! Not The historical record gives us only fragments. A name. An arrest. An illegal liquor still hidden on an abandoned farm near Stella, Oklahoma during Prohibition. Was he a bootlegger? A hired hand? Or simply a man…

Regardless Of The Place You Live You Have One – The Mayor Nobody Elected Every town has one. The person whose clothes are worn thin by time, whose pockets hold more memories than money, and whose face tells stories few have bothered to ask about. They walk quietly among us, unnoticed by strangers…

‘Multiple victims’ in shooting at Westgate Entertainment District, police say www.azfamily.com/2026/07/05/m...

A moving reflection on heritage, memory, and the quiet power of patriotism, this story weaves a timeless American poem into a deeply personal journey across soil, sacrifice, and steadfast pride. A tribute to the land that shapes us — imperfect, enduring, and forever home.

Another Report Has Surfaced About Cherry Tree’s Disappearing In D.C. Cherry Trees are in the news again. This time in D.C. and allegedly beineg removed to make way for a Trump golf course. That is what the scuttle was in the District last week. This report looks into the matter since first…

The White Squirrels of Olney – What Brought My Grandmother Back Every summer, they came. The Folks from Illinois. The Folks from Oklahoma. They traveled hundreds of miles for a simple reason: family mattered. This July, I find myself walking in their footsteps and grateful the tradition lives on.

911 call: Gilbert toddler found alive in morgue hours after being declared dead at hospital www.azfamily.com/2026/07/03/9...

On The Road With The Folks From Oklahoma – It’s A Family Tradition Todays piece explains life is not simply genealogy—it is the act of staying connected. Families separated by hundreds of miles, yet determined to remain one family. How it is accomplished. And how a family has found the way to…

After the Flags Are Folded Away The rainbow flags may be folded away for another year, but the people who gave them meaning remain part of our story. Gregory Marks was one of those people. Through music, compassion, and a lifetime of service, he helped LGBTQ people mourn their losses, celebrate…

When a Rainbow Means Safety: Somewhere Beyond the Hatred Lies Hope Why is there a Pride Month? Why the rainbow flag? The answer may be found in the story of a couple in Idaho who say they were attacked simply for being gay. Pride was never just a celebration. For many, it remains a declaration…

This Summer Season As You Take To The Highway There May Be The Highway Myth That Refuses to Die Seventy years ago this month, America set out to build more than highways. It built connections. It built opportunity. It built memories. On June 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the…

THE LAST LETTER FROM THE TITANIC The orchestra plays. And somewhere aboard, a letter is being written. Within hours, the ship will strike an iceberg. The ocean will rise. And history will change forever. What was written in those final moments? Who was it meant for? And why do those words still…

If This Didn't Kill The Pilot And Those On Board...China Will! ktla.com/news/nationw...

The Gay Mafia: Ned's Unlikely Protectors | A Surprising Twist of Fate

Beneath the headlines and politics are real people—neighbors, families, workers—trying to live meaningful lives. When pressure builds in a society, it rarely announces itself with fanfare. This story isn’t about sensational headlines but about those quiet pressures—economic, social, and…

Manawan Community Mourns the Loss of Musician and Actor Oshim Ottawa Canadian musician and actor Oshim Ottawa has died. The Manawan artist earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination for his performance in Soleils Atikamekw and leaves behind a legacy of artistic and cultural contributions.

Political violence doesn’t appear overnight — it builds. From historic assassinations to today’s headlines, America’s pressures are spilling over. Here’s how we got here, why it matters, and what history tells us about the cost of ignoring the warning signs.

Marshal Chester Finch – Chapter Fourteen: The Last Ride of Old Pete The goats had come to Gotebo as outlaws, descendants of legends and troublemakers all. But as the sun set over the Oklahoma prairie, Old Pete—the oldest and perhaps wisest outlaw of them all—walked away alone, leaving behind a…

U.S. Marshal Finch – Chapter 13: The Goat Barbecue Conspiracy It isn't a magic trick. 3 goats have disappeared. In this chapter you'll meet Powder Puff — the sexiest goat in the herd. At least that's what Powder Puff believes. Everyone else believes he smells like a gym sock married an onion.…

During Stephen Colbert's farewell episode, the band played an unlicensed version of a classic song from 1960s Charlie Brown specials. Owners of the music have reached an agreement with CBS announcing their intention to donate the proceeds to World Central Kitchen. www.intomore.com/entertainmen...

James Burrows, who helped create volumes of laughter as director of more than a thousand episodes of such classic television comedies as “Cheers,” “Taxi,” “Friends” and “Will and Grace,” died Friday. He was 85. apnews.com/article/jame...

U.S. Marshal Finch – Chapter Twelve and the Legend of Old Pete In today's story our horseback riding Marshal who actually is on a moped patrolling Gotebo, while more than 600 goats have surrounded the town, may now have been given a centuries old lead into one of the Earp Brothers. Plus, you may…

U.S. Marshall Chester Finch – Chapter Eleven: The Next Telegram No sooner had Marshal Chester Finch survived the Great Chicken Takeover than another telegram arrived. This time the crisis involved six hundred angry goats, a defeated sheriff, and a town desperate for help. Joined by George Jones…

Have a Cool, Loving Summer — Whoever You Are, Wherever You Belong. From benandsteve.com - Teens with a gay/straight alliance are being bashed for wishing fellow students using a message of their own. www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/06/cons...

U.S. Marshal Chester Finch – Chapter 10: The Celebration Ends & A New Assignment Begins No sooner had Marshal Chester Finch survived the Great Chicken Takeover than another telegram arrived. This time the crisis involved six hundred angry goats, a defeated sheriff, and a town desperate for help.…

Marshal Chester Finch – Chapter Nine: A Hero’s Farewell Dustbucket Junction finally honored Marshal Chester Finch with a holiday and a statue. Unfortunately, the sculptor accidentally immortalized him riding a giant chicken instead of his trusty moped. As townspeople gathered to celebrate the…

Marshal Finch: Chapter Eight The Marshal Saves Absolutely Nobody, Almost. The mystery of the nitrogen-enhanced chicken feed is finally solved, and the answer is even stranger than anyone imagined. While on an official patrol that somehow includes a stop for a Beefy Burger at Lou Anne's Diner,…

U.S. Marshal Chester Finch – Chapter Seven: The Great Coop Explosion In todays extremely interesting story. Marshal Chester Finch finds himself dealing with an explosion. Actually the whole town does. The mayor has hidden the Fourth of July supplies (including the fireworks) beneath haybales at…

When Faith and Politics Collide Nay-Sayers Claim James Talarico Is Possessed By An Evil Spirit A Texas seminarian quoted Jesus. Critics called him dangerous. Supporters called him courageous. But beneath the politics and accusations lies a more uncomfortable question: If Christians cannot agree on…

Marshal Chester Finch and the Chicken Uprising Chapter Six: The Truth About the Chicken King US Marshal Chester Finch brings forth a witness who may turn out to be suspect number one in why and how the chickens came to town. But, it may have been a community service. The citizens gather to try and…

Dee Palmer Dies At 88, Jethro Tull Rock Group Composer and Keyboardist Has Passed Away

Marshal Chester Finch: Chapter Five The Meanest Rooster in the West The Meanest Rooster in the West Has Arrived! Just when the citizens of Finchfield thought things couldn't get worse, the Feathered Brotherhood unleashes its most terrifying weapon yet—General Drumstick, an outlaw fighting rooster…

The Ballot Scanner and the Bigger Question – What Happened To It After It Was Snatched? A ballot scanner is at the center of a new controversy in Maricopa County, but the bigger story may be what it reveals about public confidence in elections. Whether the investigation finds wrongdoing or not,…

Marshal Finch Returns: Chapter Four It Could Be a Good Day for Egg Laying Motherclucker! That's a word about to be heard all across Finchfield. Eggs will fly. Chickens will cluck. Citizens will scream. And somewhere in the middle of the chaos, Marshal Chester Finch will attempt to restore order to…