No, it hasn’t been 4 years. I’m sure of it.” “Four-and-a-half to be exact.” The voice coming out of the receiver was firm, almost authoritarian. I paused to count 4-and-a-half years on my fingers. In the silence, my computer guy continued.   “What you need is an upgrade,

“If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.” So said the Duchess from Alice in Wonderland.  Lewis CarroIl’s children’s fantasy is one of 7 books that were banned in some U. S. school districts. The others included T

   James Carville is 77, a political strategist, and a popular guest on news shows.  Like all of us, he’s enjoyed successes and defeats.  His most spectacular achievement occurred in 1991 when he was the lead strategist during Bill Clinton’s successful bid for the White Ho

Being someone who meditates for enlightenment, I decided to bend my thoughts to the state of our democracy. My reason for doing so was this statement: the public has more confidence in the military than any other national institution. (“Crisis of Command,” by Risa Brooks et al, Fo

Dick Van Dyke’s quote made me laugh.  At age 95,  he said he doesn’t spend a minute being depressed because at his age he needs to be  “enjoying himself.”  (AARP Bulletin, October 2021, pg. 46.)  At 85, I understand his urgency.  When the road is short, it’s wise to en

Even In the worst of times, politics can be funny.  Joe Manchin, Democratic senator from West Virginia, filled me with mirth when he said he would oppose President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” budget. He didn’t want to foster an “entitlement” culture, he

After Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45h President of the United States, officials in his government began to replace information they didn’t like with false information that supported their political viewpoint. They called these changes “alternative facts.” Many of us laughed

The warning came gently on a warm afternoon. Richard Cabe, one-time economist, and now sculptor, peered up at the sky and wondered aloud about the flock of birds circling overhead.  Beside him, his wife, plant biologist Susan J. Tweit, looked up from her labors and gasped, but for a

At twilight, when the sky was a faint wash of blue, my mother sometimes caught me sneaking out of our apartment for one last game of hide-and-seek with neighborhood pals.  “It’s not safe, after dark,” she’d scold, shaking her finger at me. “But mama, plenty of kids are arou

Last week, 3 Kenyans on my Facebook list unfriended me. I’d mentioned I was an atheist which caused one woman to call me a fool before disconnecting. I wasn’t surprised by her reaction. For centuries, non-believers have suffered contempt or even death at the hands of those with fa