Back when I was a whole lot younger, and quite a bit dumber, while covering the state wrestling tournament in Omaha, I decided one night during the event to go out on the town with some friends. It was a great night, but as one day turned into another, I realized that it was time I head back to my hotel and get some much-needed sleep.

One of my favorite political slogans of all time is “a solution in search of a problem.” It’s used frequently in debates at the Nebraska Legislature to describe a proposal or idea that imposes new rules and restrictions to address a problem that doesn’t exist. You might call it “government overreach,” too.

Late last week, my nephew wrapped up his high school basketball career at Seward High School. I spend lots of weeknights and Saturday afternoons in the winter covering high school hoops, but over the years, from time to time, I have still managed to schedule a day or two to see my nephew battle on the hardwood.

There are ways to change state policies, and there are other ways to change state policies. Which brings us to the “death by a thousand cuts” of the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

Mentoring programs are a great thing. They help kids— mostly kids in single- parent families— gain confidence, and learn leadership and life skills from adults.

On Sunday, I was a bit disturbed. After a grueling four days covering the state wrestling tournament in Omaha, late Saturday night I returned home, and I was ready for a long night of deep sleep.

Had I been able to find an old cereal box last week, there is a good chance I would have gotten out my glue stick, found a pair of scissors, and gotten to work. After all, even after a couple of decades, I still spend most of my day at my desk, so why not go the distance and put together a Valentine’s Day box and attempt to get some free candy.

Can we all agree on one thing? Seeing Americans shot and killed on American streets by fellow Americans is not at all good. I’ve purposely waited to write about the killing of two people on the streets of Minneapolis by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and United States Border Patrol to allow more information to come out.

On Sunday, like millions of Americans, I kept my eye on the Super Bowl. Not the world’s biggest fan of pro football, and with really no rooting interest in the game, I had it on, paid periodic attention to the action on the field, but stayed glued to the television when the ads came on.

What is it about Nebraskans and the slab of aluminum we bolt onto the back of our cars, the license plate? For some reason, we Cornhuskers get emotional over the design of the state’s plates. There are gripes aplenty.