Technology has given us marvelous opportunities that outstrip the pace of evolution. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up, which means we may fail to see the consequences of a change until it smacks us in the face. Social media is one example. On the plus side, drugs that treat deadly dis

On Black Friday, I encountered a woman scurrying toward the entrance to my retirement center.  The raw wind blew past as I held the door open for her. As I did, I noticed the shopping bag she clutched in her hand was filled to the brim. “Did you get a bargain?” I asked, making li

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

Who doesn’t like a good fairytale? Few. I suppose that’s why when Jeff Bezos sent me an email announcing my four novels could be translated into foreign languages for free, a smile crept across my face. Long years have taught me it’s best to keep my hands in my pocket whenev

I admit it.  Some mornings, I dedicate time to cursing my computer.  Overnight, some dark magic has rendered my passwords useless or an old blog has risen from the grave to republish itself on Facebook.  On those days, I call my guru.  Usually, he’s good at sorting out the probl

Beware the effects of “greater efficiency.”  It can lead to chaos.  Housekeeping, at my retirement center, recently sent residents a memo about upcoming changes in the maid service schedule.  Curious residents dialed the extension number provided, hoping for more information. 

Nobody likes a multi-billionaire who stiffs his workers.  Donald Trump accuses Jeff Bezos of greed and Bernie Sanders agrees, suggesting a man who pockets $157 billion a year while his warehouse workers live on food stamps is a man whose conscience is questionable.*  While Trump’s

  Sometimes, I forget a web larger than the world-wide web exists.  You know the one I’m talking about. Nature, that place where every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  That place where a butterfly flaps its wings in Argentina and Japan suffers a tsunami.  To be ho

A friend visited the other day and as she settled down with a cup of tea, she peered round the room, admiring my new apartment which is larger than my last.  I’m probably one of the few retired people who has upsized her space rather than downsized.  My friend must have wondered h

With the holiday season come and gone, it’s nice to know the period was marked by a little peace on earth.  Hachette, 4th largest publishing house in the United States, and Amazon settled their long standing dispute over the selling price for eBooks. (Blog 9/25/14)  The question i