Last week, my blog was about finding our better angels in the worst of times, a term Abraham Lincoln coined in his first inaugural address.   I am familiar with my darker ones, anger, impatience, and vanity among them.  Less aggressive are the purer spirits. Sometimes, when I’ve

Does anyone enjoy complete self-confidence, particularly women? Melinda French Gates, the former wife of Bill Gates and one of the richest women in the United States has suffered moments of uncertainty.  She relates that when she and her ex-husband attended conferences, Bill Gates dr

“My grandmother has trouble with her phone too,” the sales representative said. “My advice is to call your cell number once a month to avoid letting it fall into sleep mode.” Who knew?  My cell phone goes catatonic if I don’t talk to it enough. Needless to say, my transitio

Everyone knows about the split between left-wing Democrats in Congress and moderates.  The left wants to redistribute wealth by raising taxes on the rich. Moderates who come from politically divided districts want to move more slowly.  Some, like Senator Joe Manchin, openly worry th

Given the many life and death threats facing our species, an algorithm to help identify which challenges are imminent and which can wait five minutes sounds great. Unfortunately, technology is part of the problem. The more we rely on it, the more we are likely to find ourselves in a d

Bill Gates throws up his hands and declares Elizabeth Warren’s proposed wealth tax will break him. Gates, whose financial worth is reported to be $106.8 billion dollars, would pay about 3 billion in wealth taxes under Warren’s plan. But even if his fears were correct and he would

Ronald Inglehart, University of Michigan professor, makes a strong case for the cyclical nature of populism in a democratic society.  (“The Age of Insecurity, by Ronald Inglehart, Foreign Affairs, May/June 2018, pgs. 20-28.)   He argues populism thrives during periods of change,

Like Paul Revere,  I and others have spent time shouting, “The robots are coming.  The robots are coming.” I’m unsure what to do about it, but as writer  Jennifer Alserver notes, these machines are becoming smarter, more people sensitive and more versatile.   (“Is This Ro

In the past, making an anonymous contribution to charity was the norm, according to writers, Erick Konigsberg and Ben Ryder.  Many one-per centers in their day, like John D. Rockefeller, contributed large amounts of cash to colleges and other public institutions with no fanfare.   

I’ve written a good deal about the impact of robots and the electronic world on everyday life.  (Most recently Blogs 10/2/14,10/15/2/2/15)  Like Bill Gates, who helped develop and advance computer technology, I fail to understand why people aren’t more worried about where it is