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
Recently, guilt and shame were topics in a New York Times column by David Brooks (3/15/2016). When my blog on the same issue appeared a month later, (Blog 4/25/2016), a reader emailed me a copy of those earlier remarks. Not crucial but immediately evident was a difference in the d
Labiaplasty may be one of the saddest words I’ve ever heard and only just learned. It refers to plastic surgery performed to alter the folds surrounding the female vulvae with the intent of giving them a clam-like appearance. In the case of a birth deformity, the procedure has i
Surveillance tools are everywhere. Another device is coming soon to a store near you: software that identifies individual faces in a crowd. Walk through Macy’s one afternoon and you may hear a message telling you your favorite cologne is on sale. And those greeters with their
Tumblr is a social network site used by 10% of people who prowl the internet, according to the Pew Research Center, (“The Secret Lives Of Tumblr Teens,” by Elspeth Reeve, New Republic, March 2016, pg. 51) My blog first appeared there in 2010. The site was lively and I gained f
After World War II, Winston Churchill expressed hope for a united Europe, where movement between borders would be free and where any European in any corner of that society could say, “Here I feel at home.” (“The War for Europe,” by Henry Porter, Vanity Fair, February 2016, p
When I was in college, I became aware of a popular publication called, The Family of Man. Between its covers were photographs from around the world, depicting how people in different countries, cultures and ages lived. No words accompanied the photographs and none were necessa
Unlike Al Qaeda which took pains to avoid the World Wide Web and the digital age, fearing their movements could be tracked, Isis has embraced technology, employing it to inflate the organization’s profile and using it as a recruiting tool. According to writer Jared Cohen, the orga
While standing in the checkout line of a grocery store, recently, I ran into a friend and stopped to chat. Engaged in a robust conversation a few paces from my cart, I noticed a woman with a cane moving ahead of me. I waved my fingers in the air to indicate the cart she was pa
As a writer, I’m required to promote myself and my publications through various social networks. On the plus side, I’ve become acquainted with interesting people from around the globe and learned a little about lifestyles and politics in different countries. Facebook has been a go