Politics can be a mean way of life, filled with scurrilous attacks on opponents, replete with prevarication, and downright lying. I stay away from it, as much as possible. Case in point, just the other day former Vermont governor and one time seeker of the Oval Office, Howard Dean, took a shot at Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, commenting on MSNBC’s Morning Joe: “The issue is, … Continue reading Snobbery’s Menace
It’s time to write again about why I bother keeping a blog. I can’t speak for others, only for myself. What got me started this early morning was looking at a recent blog I subscribe to, and that’s very few. The writer says she’s moved from WordPress to her own domain, WordPress no longer giving her the expansive options she needs. She doesn’t, however, specify, … Continue reading Why I blog, though few will read
I saw a recent piece in the Huffington Post, called “7 Habits of Natural Leaders,” and found it riveting. You don’t necessarily have to be in a leadership position, however, to benefit from making these attributes staples of your everyday life. I’ll list them and give my own take on each of the attributes: 1. They dare to fail: I was a prof for nearly … Continue reading Traits we should all want
All man’s troubles arise from the fact That we do not know what we are And do not agree on what we want to be –Vercours (You Shall Know Them) Like all of you, I’ve been reading and viewing with horror the crimes of IS (Islamic State). Recently, for example, there was the video of … Continue reading Human Evil and Its Genesis: ISIS
I just finished a two mile walk in a quiet, woody area close to where I live. I especially enjoy it because I keep company with a wide landscape of greenery, manicured gardens and, quite nice, I may see only one or two cars the whole way. Walking in the early morning makes me mindful of the gift of life and its cornucopia of sensory … Continue reading Mindful Walking Brings Joy
We live busy lives and often it seems difficult to take time out, catch our breath, and maybe just reassess whether what we’re chasing is worth our time and worry. In a frenetic world, we probably all have a favorite way of finding sanctuary–perhaps taking time off, or traveling to some idyllic spot, or just off to a meal out or a movie with sweetheart … Continue reading Poetry is Truth in Sunday Clothes
The other day, I had a solicitation in the mail from a magazine called Reminiscence. Apparently, a lot of folks like to engage in nostalgia. I confess I occasionally do the same, though I’m aware of how time can soften the contours of the past. Still, I like to muse on past events that were really quite wonderful and that I wish I could relive … Continue reading Reminiscence: And I could wish it were 1949 again
I just read Frank Somerville’s recent post (July 3) on Facebook. For the record, he’s the nightly news anchor on KTVU in Oakland, CA. I don’t live anywhere near the West Coast, so I don’t get to watch him, but Somerville keeps a page on Facebook that I read daily for its keen insights, sensitivity, and passion for social justice. Thank goodness he’s out there … Continue reading Technology and the shrinking of community
I have always liked the poetry of Christina Rossetti, Victorian England’s foremost female poet. Poetry ran in her genes. Her maternal grandfather had been a poet and translator; and, of course, so was her more famous brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who also excelled at art. I like to think of her in conjunction with the American poet, Emily Dickinson, our most prominent woman poet; … Continue reading Christina Rossetti’s “After Death”: Her unction to the living
“I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I’ve been dreaming of my parents every day,” says Wang Zheng, a 31-year old engineer whose parents were aboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, now into its third week with still no positive yields as to its fate. Ironically, new reports of possible debris 1500 miles off the coast of Western Australia aren’t offering the languishing families and friends … Continue reading Susan Sarandon Gets It: Authentic Living
