Democrats danced in the streets last Tuesday.  Special elections painted some red states blue, and California’s redistricting plan succeeded in waving a middle finger at Texas’s efforts at gerrymandering.  Yet danger to our democracy persists. Oligarchs, aided by low taxes and t

Recently, I came upon an article that compared the habits of folks with old and new money.  Old money, for example, avoided designer labels, and flashy cars and was courteous to people who provided service.  New money was less shy about flaunting status and more demanding.  This di

Since the election,  perhaps some of my blog readers may harbor the same concern for our democracy that I do. Freedom Isn’t an Energizer Bunny that keeps on going. It must be defended.  And though the Republican Party has turned its back on decency, the rest of us must work to pre

No one likes paying taxes, least of all billionaires.  They’d rather buy yachts.  Obliged to keep up appearances, they give to charity, some less than others, Elon Musk being the stingiest.  Nonetheless, they are lavish in their political contributions to politicians who favor th

The bank paid off one of my certificates of deposit (CD) early to refinance at a lower rate. My broker suggested one of two things: 1) buy a 3-month Treasury that paid 5% interest, or 2)  a one-year Note that paid 4.5%.  I chose the longer Treasury despite the lower rate.  If the F

I’m always stunned when people confess they don’t plan to vote in the upcoming 2024 election because neither presidential candidate inspires them–as if the event was a beauty contest and the fate of the nation wasn’t at stake. Joe Biden’s poor debate performance recently

It’s old news that a New York jury found former president Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records before the 2016 presidential election.  He protested that the trial was rigged, naturally.  What else can a guilty man running for the White House a s

Being super rich may give a person a platform, but money doesn’t provide wisdom.  Elon Musk has many opinions which the media laps up but sometimes, his assertions leave him looking foolish.  His latest attack on Dr. Anthony Faucci is an example. Having no medical knowledge, Musk

Even in a time of war, there can be moments of laughter. Late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert had a field day with a report about a Ukrainian grandmother who knocked down a Russian drone from her apartment balcony with a jar of tomatoes.  Equally low tech but less funny was a re

Being someone who meditates for enlightenment, I decided to bend my thoughts to the state of our democracy. My reason for doing so was this statement: the public has more confidence in the military than any other national institution. (“Crisis of Command,” by Risa Brooks et al, Fo