I don’t need to explore the universe to live in a state of wonder. Observing the human race is enough for me. A number of articles appeared in the December 19th issue of The Week that should convince the likes of Hawking or Einstein that there is more mystery in human behavior
Years ago, when I was misdiagnosed with a form of incurable cancer, I resorted to meditation to battle the disease. But, according to Barbara Ehrenreich, writing in Baffler, meditation was the worst activity in which I could have engaged. (“Terror Cells,” by Barbara Ehrenrei
A friend visited the other day and as she settled down with a cup of tea, she peered round the room, admiring my new apartment which is larger than my last. I’m probably one of the few retired people who has upsized her space rather than downsized. My friend must have wondered h
After reading an excerpt from Jenny Nordberg’s book, The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan, I wanted to throw up my hands in despair. (“Hiding girls in plain sight,” The Week, December 5, 2014 pgs. 40-41, excerpted from The Underground G
When I moved to my retirement center, I soon became aware that a pecking order existed between those who live on the lower floors of the building and those who live on the higher ones. In fact, “What floor do you live on,” is the question most asked after an introduction. High
Many years ago, when I headed a teachers’ union, I took on as my responsibilities not only the handling of members’ grievances but, where I could, I addressed their well-being, too. On one occasion I made grocery deliveries once a week to a single woman who was confined to her bed
Hamlet marveled, “What a piece of work is man,” but that isn’t the half of it. Two new books are out which talk about man’s place in the universe, both reviewed by Tim Flannery in Harper’s. Dian Ackerman, whose affinity for understanding nature is undisputed by most,
Recently, a reader shared an article with me by Gail Collins from the New York Times. (Click) Collins was ranting about the plight of working women who are pregnant. In one case, a female employee working at Wal-Mart’s was fired for carrying a bottle of water on the job in an ef
With the holiday season come and gone, it’s nice to know the period was marked by a little peace on earth. Hachette, 4th largest publishing house in the United States, and Amazon settled their long standing dispute over the selling price for eBooks. (Blog 9/25/14) The question i