As much as I admire Hillary Clinton, as much as I acknowledge she is a role model for upcoming generations of women, as successfully as she’s mastered numerous tasks, from First Lady to United States Senator, to Secretary of State, to becoming a creditable candidate for the nationâ€

One of the challenges of living at my retirement center is keeping up with the reading recommendations of fellow inmates.  My list is long and growing. Nonetheless, when I heard about an article on brain tumor surgery, one that obliges a patient to remain awake while the surgeon saws

One of my Facebook friends remarked about the number of angry people in his group and wondered if some of them were as angry as they seemed, or if they accentuated their feelings for the sake of having an impact? Facebook scribbles and tweets do invite us to focus on the itch of the m

Over coffee and conversation at the retirement center, the woman I was sitting with was in the midst of a fascinating story when she stopped and looked blank.  She seemed stuck for a word so I offered it.  Grateful, she went  on with her story, but not before observing, “Around h

Many times I’ve noted a large gap exists between what our brain tells us about the world and truth. My novel Trompe l’Oeil is a study of that gap – the difference between appearance and reality. Even so, we infinitely small creatures of a small planet among billions of galaxies

Having strong objections to the notion that human activities are influencing climate change doesn’t alter the facts.  A recent review of scientific opinion on the subject reveals that people need to limit their contribution to global warming by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. (“Climate C

The other day a nurse told me a story about an 88 year-old woman who had come into the doctor’s office with a concern. The patient and her boyfriend were having sex every day. She worried if it might cause a health problem. Surprised, the nurse laughed and told the older woman to â€

Several years ago, I spent 10 days at Buddhist retreat in Berkley. Naturally, there was much talk about good and bad karma — the notion that we reap what we sow. Good deeds will attract good outcomes; bad deeds will attract bad outcomes. Emotionally, the sentiment satisfies my d

When I arrived at college in the mid 1950’s, I knew nothing about folk music. Pete Seeger was all the rage on campus and when I heard him sing Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, a lump formed in my throat. The song ended, I could do nothing but stand up and cheer. One could say mine