When she signed Alabama’s near total ban on abortion, recently, governor Kay Ivey, noted the law testified to the state’s “deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.” Again, another religious zealot with the power of the gavel

Rebecca Solnit, the author of Men Explain Things to Me, tickles my funny bone.  She has a sharp wit and a sharp pen which she exhibits regularly as a columnist for Harper’s. In addition, she is well-versed in a number of subjects, having written about the environment, landscapes, p

I’ve never played chess but I have played a little politics and from where I sit, the Democrats need to refine their strategies to take control of government.   Too many of its shinning stars are lining up for the Presidential race.  Instead, candidates from red state

This summer marks the third year of my free seminars* for writers, a series to be held at Another Read Through bookstore in Portland, Oregon.  At the end of past sessions, I’ve noted  people lingered in their chairs, completing their notes or talking to one another, the sm

Last week, I went to a movie playing in my neighborhood.  At  3:10 in the afternoon, the lobby was quiet enough to hold a séance.  Loneliness has never bothered  me, so  I shoved 8 crumpled dollars under the cashier’s window to buy my ticket. “What seat?” the woman spat in

Can algorithms express ethics?  That’s a question occupying the minds of programmers as society relegates more of its decisions to Artificial Intelligence, (AI).  Today, AI can approve bank loans, award an inmate parole or select which information a person sees while surfi

When does life begin?  That’s the question roiling the abortion debate, and one which society must decide.  Unfortunately, the  decision will be arbitrary, with no more science behind it than the one ascribed to setting the voting age.  Arguably, life thrives in

When I was in the sixth grade, my town was large enough to support two  junior high schools, Lincoln and Garfield.  The posh kids went to Lincoln.  The poor kids went to Garfield where there was a flutter of gang activity.  At the time, I lived with my mother in a small, apartment

The rich don’t think like us.  For example, some of the early blue-blooded dynasties like the Rockefellers, Carnegies and Morgans, obtained their wealth by questionable means and sometimes on the backs of the American worker.  Today, not much has changed.  Three billionaires, Ber

When I was in high school, I had a counselor who referred to me as her late bloomer.  I suppose it was because I never had a date in those days, though I had friends enough.  At least, I seldom sat alone at lunch in the school cafeteria. Even so, I’ve never felt in sync wi