Several years ago, I had a male acquaintance who, depressed after his divorce, joined a dating service on the internet.  He enrolled in more than one, in fact, as they were free. Once he’d signed up, images of blonde babes lit up his cell phone, so many, that when we met for coffee

Suggesting that crony capitalism is in decline in this country may be an unpopular argument in our election cycle.  Those bent upon reforming a corrupt system first have to believe it exists, and after 2008 and the housing bubble, it’s hard to dispute.  Except the financial collap

We Americans aren’t the only people on the continent who are fed up with gridlock and corruption. Throughout Latin America, citizens are throwing out old regimes: Guatemala, Honduras, Argentina and most recently, Brazil.  Unfortunately, the populists champions who ride into power,

After my blog of May 19, 2016 in support of Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency, a reader sent me a column by Gail Collins that appeared in the New York Times. (Click)  The gist of her remarks were a warning to the presumptive Democratic candidate that she avoid wrapping her i

Flowers and other plants would seem to be a part of nature.  But not so, if it’s a petunia called Candy Bouquet and sold in garden shops.  This flower, magenta and yellow, was bred in Germany by growers who manipulated the pollen to create a new color combination. Is the new desig

Money, like water, is fluid and not always controlled.  In Brazil, for example,  the corporate tax rate is 34%, among the highest in the world.  One would hope  so much money would flow to the public’s  benefit.  Instead, it has been lost down a rat hole of corruption, leaving

New York Times writer, Nocholas Kristof identified an inconvenient truth, recently, about the liberal mindset. Progressives have great empathy for war victims in other countries, for the poor and even abused chickens, but show little tolerance for conservatives. (Click)   As proof,

“Economists joke that the questions on their doctoral exams haven’t changed in 50 years, but the answers have.” (“The Curse of The Big Bad Rut,” by Peter Coy, Bloomberg Businessweek, May 16-22, 2016 pg. 14.)  The same lack of imagination could be laid at the feet of politic

While serving in public life, a colleague and I engaged in an intense debate that was heartfelt on both sides.  The hearing room was packed as the commissioners weighed the prospect of starting a new program, despite a projection from the budget office that there would be a shortfall

The reason people send hate mail, according to essayist William Giraldi, is that it cheers them up.  (“Cruel Intentions,” by William Giraldi, New Republic, June 2016, pg.64.)  To prove his case, he cites the views of William Hazlitt, a minister and essayist (1737–1820).  Haza