Economist, businessman and craftsman Peter Bearse is running as an independent for New Hampshire’s First District seat in a crowded field that includes John Stephen, Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, and former Congressman Jeb Bradley. A 40-year veteran of the state’s political scene, Bearse has worked on both sides of the fence as a grassroots activist, and believes that this year above all other years is the time when New Hampshire voters are most likely to vote for an independent candidate.

Donna Anastasi’s love of gerbils began in December 1999. It was Christmas vacation week and her husband was off on a business trip. He wasn’t an animal lover, but she wanted to get a pet for her two young daughters. It was the perfect time. More than eight years later, she’s a gerbil breeder with 12 gerbil tanks holding more than 30 gerbils. She’s also the president of the American Gerbil Society.

Alexandra Socha has been on one amazing trip since last summer, when she found out (while at a Pennsylvania truck stop) she’d been cast as an understudy and ensemble member for Spring Awakening, the Broadway musical that won eight Tony awards in 2007. She was on her way to Pittsburgh with her parents to attend a Carnegie Mellon University summer theater program, but that’s not where she ended up.

Usually I go to the mail bag to answer questions from friends and foes alike. Today, we’re going to reverse it where I’ve got some pressing questions for folks in sports out there, and even for a few who are no longer with us, but whose impact still is. So here goes:

The picture of a traditional lunch trailer is often a greasy-spoon image of runny eggs or pre-made sandwiches that sit for hours.

Not so for the Yum Yum Shack in Hillsboro. Owner Daryl Mundy Sr. has a reputation for high-quality, reasonably priced food.

Ancient relics unearthed and tossed about! And that's just the cast! [rimshot].

Gas prices. Mortgage crisis. Credit squeeze. Inflation.

The news is rife with economic disaster stories these days. Even food has seen sharp price increases, with rice purchases being rationed at some wholesale clubs. Whether we dip into recession or not, there’s no denying that tough times are here.