Though it was a belated recognition, Rosalind Franklin is acknowledged to have determined the overall B-form of the DNA helix (Wikipedia) for which Francis Crick and James Watson were awarded the Nobel Prize.  Men taking credit for women’s ideas isn’t new.   But a new book by M

Several years ago, I bought an oil stock that ended up a gusher and pumped up my portfolio nicely.  Later,  I sold it at its peak which made me and the IRS happy.  Since that time, the company has lost value because there’s an oil glut around the world.  In fact, the United Stat

Not long ago, a reader sent me an article from The New York Times, “Among the Disrupted,” by Leon Wieseltier.  He was writing about the many ways  technology invades our culture, calling the effect a tyranny of technology. (Click)  Below are two examples of recent advances.  I

Islam Yaken is a middle class Egyptian youth who gave up his dream of becoming a professional trainer when the economy in his country tanked.  As his alternative, he chose to became an Isis terrorists. (“The Deadly allure of jihad,” reprint from The New York Times in The Week, Ma

Today marks my 6th year as a blogger, writing 5 days a week (M-F) on the writing life and what other writers have to say about life.  Social commentary is the way I guess you’d categorize what I do,  for those who care about categories.  I don’t.  But I do care about my reader

Two of the least effective words in the English language are “ought” and “should” which, when employed, are more likely to annoy rather than influence a person’s behavior.  If “ought’ and “ should” had any clout, obesity would be conquered, along with alcoholism and

A year ago, I made a reference to José Mujica, President of Uruguay — a man described as the world’s poorest president; a man, jailed for 14 years in the 1970s as a revolutionary; a man known world-wide as the humble leader of his people.  Elected to the country’s highest

In February, my mother turned 99.  We celebrated, of course.  There was cake for lunch and cake for dinner, any flavor but it had to include a lemon filling.  The nurses and doctors who care for my mother are amazed at her vitality and wit, not only taking her age into account, but

Feeling sexy or brave?  Maybe your cat is responsible.  Toxoplasma gondil’s, a parasite carried in cat feces has been discovered to alter the brains of rats and mice so that they mistake a cat’s odor for an invitation to romance.   Rodents that don’t run away from their arch

Somewhere in my 50’s I decided to take up painting.  One of my first classes was level 1 drawing. Students were given a Rembrandt etching and asked to copy it.  The purpose of the exercise was to see how observant we were. Finishing the task early, I waited with a certain degree o