When I was in my 50s, my stockbroker encouraged me to buy shares in a company he claimed would be a game-changer in energy conservation.  I purchased 1000 shares at $11 each. Then, I waited. When the stock dropped to $1, I was ready to give up, but my broker advised me to hold on, so

My blog last week concluded that the joke is on us if we keep giving money to billionaires who turn our dollars against us. I was referring to America’s addiction to consumerism and convenience at the expense of democracy. While our economy drives the globe’s, our prosperity is un

“Are we there yet?” A child too long confined to a car will often ask this question.  Who would have guessed that as Donald Trump bends the rule of law, drawing the country near to a Constitutional crisis, we can hear a similar query on the lips of people in the streets?  “Are

A friend shared a letter with me from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.  In it, he outlined a course of political action for the future. (Dec. 31, 2024)  Like many of us, he sees the next 4 years as rocky ones for the country.  To protect our democracy he makes 3 proposal

Though averse to ageism, I was moved when I  read that longtime Congresswoman Anne Kuste was retiring to allow someone younger to take her place.  As a tribute to her decision, I have recorded below my relevant brunch conversation with a Millennial.                  

I was grateful to my neighbor for helping me with a technical problem.  He’s the resident guru on computers at the retirement center and far too modest about himself. Aware that I might need his advice in the future, I asked if he’d care to adopt me despite my advanced age.  A s

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

Even In the worst of times, politics can be funny.  Joe Manchin, Democratic senator from West Virginia, filled me with mirth when he said he would oppose President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” budget. He didn’t want to foster an “entitlement” culture, he