MORE AMISH SILLINESS: Ahhh, remember when the TLC network used to be "The LEARNING Channel" and they actually had some redeeming programming? Now, they show soap operas and fiction. The Breaking Amish series which they have been running the past couple of years has been popular in the ratings and if people view the show as FICTION in the same vein as Star Trek, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family ...then, great! Fiction and the world of make-believe can be very entertaining and provide a wonderful escape. Just as long as viewers know that TLC stands for The Laughingstock Channel then enjoy. Read about The Laughingstock Channel's latest incarnation of Breaking Amish here.
WAYWARD COLUMNIST? I do appreciate this columnist's enthusiasm and appreciation for the Amish and Mennonites, really, I do. But this columnist for the Columbia, Tennessee newspaper has written a couple of, in my opinion, clumsy columns about the Plain people the past few weeks. Today he strikes again, implying the Amish only bathe once a week. I understand he is trying to make a larger point about the Amish not being caught up in the cosmetic concerns and vanity of our society,and I appreciate that, but I think he stumbles into some inaccurate stereotypes along the way. The Amish in his area are conservative Swartzentrubers without indoor plumbing (which does not,by the way, automatically mean they only bathe once a week), but many, many, many Amish - I'd even venture to say the majority - have some form of indoor plumbing now so showers and baths are common. Click here to read his column.
CLINIC FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN: This clinic in Strasburg, Pennsylvania (heart of Lancaster's Amish country) serves as a lifeline for many Amish battling rare genetic diseases. Last Saturday many appreciative Amish gathered on the grounds to give back by doing some landscaping. Touching story, click here to read.
DRIVER ARRESTED: A Michigan driver who plowed into a buggy filled with 7 people on April 9 south of Manton turned himself into authorities this week. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the crash. Click here to read.
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