Recently, one of the bright lights in the U. S.  freshman Congressional class noted that the slate of reporters assigned to cover the 2020 Presidential election failed to include an African-American.  As I stared at the list of about 30 reporters, 8 appeared to be of American-Asian

In spite of or because of my age, I get compliments on my complexion from time to time. Unlike Olivia de Haviland, who refused to reveal a secret ingredient in her night cream, I have not secret.  Perhaps, my luck stems from a Latin heritage.  Perhaps, I’ve benefited from a vegeta

A news report in a local paper reawakened some bad memories.  The story was about enterprise zones, programs meant to breathe life into depressed areas.  The project under review included portions of a tony area in the heart of the city. Developers were going the make a fortune and

Ranchers may be getting worried.  The Cattlemen’s Association has asked the government to “’define ‘meat’ as a product ‘derived from animals.’” (“Faux Sure!” by Clive Thompson, Wired, Jan. 2019, pg. 26.) Apparently, they feel threatened by growth in the “fake”

“Tax the rich.” The chant gets louder as the liberal left begins to flex its muscles  Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) cites history as evidence the rich could pay more taxes.  She reminds us at one point in our history the tax rate was as high as 70%. I’m no economics major, as

Though it occurred many years ago, I’ll never forget the day when, as a teacher, I walked into the woman’s lounge at school and found a rape victim, a young student, collapsed on a couch, her taffy colored hair cascading over a blue, velvet cushion.  With her pupils thrown far ba

Let me assure doubters that mud at the bottom of a pond is as dark and deep as any to be found in a lake.  By mud, I’m talking about power games as they are played from rural Alabama or New York. Near the end of my final term as a county commissioner in a midsize city, I became pri

There’s a university professor in Canada who is teaching an introductory journalism course, unique because it focuses on Donald Trump’s ability to keep the media and everyone else off-balance.  (“From Tocqueville to Trump,” by Joel Stein, Vanity Fair, Feb. 2019, pgs. 36-37.)�

I don’t care what you think of me.  I like money.  I’m not talking about quantity. I’m talking about money as a form of payment. The financial industry is coaxing consumers to move to a cashless society.  All I have to do is allow someone to stick a computer chip at the end o

Not long ago, a company where I’d done business for many years rejected the password to my account. Frustrated, I sent  an email, asking if there was trouble on the site. There was none.  They confirmed my password by return message.   Frankly, I was stunned.  I wasn’t aware t