Surgery

When my friends on the political right go on a rant about government — you know, government is the problem, regulations are hindering the job creators, welfare freeloaders are bleeding the treasury dry, and other crap like that — I’m well aware that no amount of truth, logic, or evidence, will change their minds. No [...]

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Acting Naturally

Maybe it’s old age. Maybe it’s frustration. Whatever the reason, I’ve been especially cranky and opinionated lately about politics and governance. If I simply stewed on it, I might end up with an ulcer. So I’ve been venting. I am not shy about my politics. I’m a lefty, because I think people should watch out [...]

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Empires

If you want a realistic assessment of the United States, ask a foreigner. Back in November, the German newspaper Der Spiegel published an honest analysis of American society, warts and all, and concluded we are on a downward slope. Der Spiegel points to, among other factors, our national debt, rising unemployment, loopholes in our tax [...]

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Shades of Gray

In a previous post, I wrote about the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in the 1950s and this proverb attributed to the Basuto tribe of South Africa: If a man does away with his traditional way of living and throws away his good customs, he had better first make certain that he has something of [...]

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Something of Value

The Mau Mau Rebellion was an uprising that took place in British-occupied Kenya in the 1950s. The Mau Mau, a secret society and guerilla group, arose within the Kikuyu tribe. Its goal was to drive out the whites. Opposing the Mau Mau were the British Army, the white settlers, a white militia force, and large [...]

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And the List Goes On

Attention: this post is about censorship, book banning, and freedom of speech. If you’ve read my stuff before, you probably have an idea where I stand on these subjects. I thought I would mention that up front, in case you want to go read a nice, benign grandkid story or a Trip Report instead. Thank [...]

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Farm Country

Back in August, I drove to Cooperstown, New York, to attend my cousin’s wedding. I’d been to New York many times — my uncle John and his family live near Buffalo — but never to the Cooperstown area. Cooperstown sits at the south end of Lake Otsego, which is the source of the Susquehanna River. [...]

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You Thanked Her

At the risk of casting a pall over Mother’s Day, I feel compelled to present the following. If you have a mother, or had one, take note. —————— When you came into the world, she held you in her arms. You thanked her by wailing like a banshee. When you were 1 year old, she [...]

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Metathesizing “Nuclear”

A couple of weeks ago, with a full belly and a glass of iced tea, I was watching the evening news on the television machine. It was the PBS News Hour. Jim Lehrer was interviewing Ellen Tauscher, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs. (I don’t keep track of Hillary’s [...]

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The More Things Change

In the last month or so, I have twice exchanged peppery letters with the editor of my local newspaper. Most of the time, the guy is pretty level-headed, and he does a good job of watch-dogging the local politicians. But he wrote a bitter editorial recently that blasted the health insurance reforms, Obama, liberals, and [...]

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