Reading time – 26 seconds. . . . Perhaps you know that anything that reads the same forwards and backwards is called a palindrome. Thus, “mom” is a palindrome. So is “tattarrattat,” a word coined by James Joyce to mean a knock on the door. There are phrases and even sentences that are palindromes, too…. [read more]
Stupidity – a Reminder
Reading time – 77 seconds; Viewing time – 3:18 . . . Ed. note: This post was originally published in summer, 2015, but this is the start of our primaries and it’s time to pay attention and take action. ———————————————- Said Harlan Ellison, “The most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.” That… [read more]
The 2,700 Club
Reading time – 69 seconds; Viewing time – 3:04 . . . Point #1 There’s plenty of data showing that moments of anger can escalate to crimes of passion and somebody’s death occurs far more easily when there is a gun present. That’s exactly what happened in the Northlake Mall in Charlotte, NC last month,… [read more]
The System Is Not Supposed to Work
On December 19, 2015 The New York Times ran an opinion piece by Kevin Baker entitled Political Party Meltdown, which put perspective and a smidgen of clarity to the opaque and toxic swamp that is our Congress. I urge you to read his insightful essay now. Then have a look at the exchange between my… [read more]
Not Politics – Except It Is
Reading time – 39 seconds; Viewing time – 1:53 . . . It’s just a little over 20 years since O.J. Simpson’s murder trial. In a country of continuing homicides, we fixated on that murder of two innocent people, surely in part due to the celebrity of the accused. The verdict of innocent enraged whites… [read more]
Safe, Proven . . .
First watch this feel-good 30-second ad from The People of America’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry (click on the video to start it): What was it the pretty blonde in the black suit said in such soothing tones, as pleasant images caressed your eyeballs? ” . . . safe, proven hydraulic fracturing technology.” Yes,… [read more]
Change?
Reading time – 21 seconds . . . Alan King was a brilliant comedian. He brought sophistication to the discussion of street level life and backed it with his mostly undisclosed intellectualism, as he poked a stick in the eye of human foolishness. We are faced today with great challenges and it’s plain to see… [read more]
Good at Heart – Guest Essay
If you had already caught a glimpse of this you likely wondered what can be done and who will stand up to the bullies. Well, some help is right here. Joel Altschul (no relation) is a thoughtful guy, a good writer and a pal. He’s troubled by what is happening in America and recently sent… [read more]
What Are We Becoming?
Reading time – 46 seconds; viewing time – 2:07 . . . We’re seeing many more Confederate stars and bars, now that Donald Trump has assumed the mantle of Leader Of the Crazy Opposition (acronym: LOCO). These are the terminally angry people who want to return America to their America, whatever it is they imagine… [read more]
Crimes of Passion and Packing Heat
Reading time – 53 seconds; viewing time – 2:56 . . . Crimes of passion are exactly that: crimes of passion. When the fight-or-flight instinct kicks in, the amygdala is screaming out imperatives at about 10 times the rate of our analytical, logical pre-frontal cortex. In other words, we act solely in response to… [read more]
