I confess I’m a fan of the television series, Big Bang Theory.  The 30 minute program centers on scientists who are captivated by comic book heroes.  Sexual gags aside, the program exudes a childlike innocence, not dissimilar, I suppose, from the curiosity a scientist feel

I had a long and convoluted conversation with my stock broker this morning.  Times are volatile for the market and for the world, and so we bent our heads together to examine ways to preserve capital.  In the end, we concluded no place was safe.  Putting money in a bank, bonds or i

Recently, I came across a line in a news report that gave me pause.  “Mexican drug cartels earn some $25 billion selling drugs in the U. S.A.” (“The World at a glance…” The Week, May 19, 2017, pg. 8.) Add the profit from the Middle East drug trade and the sum doubles, e

Let me tell you about my work day. I do so because I wish to make a point. My mornings begin at my computer, preferably before 10 am. I practice this ritual  7 days a week.  Monday through Friday,  I compose essays that will appear later as one of my blogs. Composing oc

“What do you want to do when you grow up?”  The question is one we often ask children, but how often do we hear an equally important question asked of those facing retirement?  “What do you want to do as you grow old?”  The question never occurred to my father a

Clutter can be a sign of a creative mind at work.  Clive Thompson writes that a person with pack rat behavior may have an effective “organizational strategy.” Call it, “serendipity.” (“Clutter Clash,” by Clive Thompson, Wired, March 2016, pg. 49.)  When disparate

On the way to the gym at my retirement center, there’s a table with a small basket resting on it.  Sometimes the basket is empty.  Sometimes it isn’t  When it isn’t, it’s full of condolence cards addressed to the family of a resident who has died.  As yet I know so few peo

One of the adjustments I’ve had to make at the retirement center where I’ve moved is that I’m obliged to associate with people I don’t know but with whom I am now living cheek by jowl.  There must be 300 residents in the complex and odds are that when I sit down to a mea

Never ask a carnivore chef if the restaurant can accommodate a vegetarian  His or her idea of feeding one is tantamount to handing the guest a head of lettuce and saying, “My work here is done.”  The chef at my retirement center falls into this category.  He’s nev

As our society becomes increasingly automated, some leading thinkers are talking about what to do for workers who lose their jobs. I’ve written a few blogs on the subject, myself. (Click)  One suggestion is to provide displaced workers a basic income.  Different from unemployment