Last night Peter posed a question to us around the table. “Given that no one chooses to exist, to be born into this world, –What obligates us to choose to be helpful, to act kindly toward others?” That question always touches something deep within me. Something more basic and indescribable than my words awakens…
Published in the LA Times, January 8, 2017 The following is a transcript of Meryl Streep’s speech at the 74th Golden Globes as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. I love you all. You have to forgive me, I have lost my voice in screaming and lamentation this weekend and…
Just finished Chuck Klosterman’s book, But What If We’re Wrong? I recommend it. Here are some questions that are put forward in the concluding chapter. Is the downside of our species unparalleled cerebral evolution the ingrained propensity for self destruction? If a problem is irreversible, is there still an ethical obligation to try to…
The old book seemed to be a history text book. Appearing to be a 21st Century artifact, it had been overlooked in the bottom of a box in the dimly lit storage closet. It had to be a leftover from the old days before AI managed learning, and wireless implants linked almost everyone to…
The following story is contributed by a good friend and writer. Once upon a time in a land not so far away, two hale gentlemen went for a walk in the country. One hardy fellow went by the name of Gareth whilst the other bore the odd moniker of Tobias. Both were jaunty and…
Outside it’s raw, below zero. In this warm coffee shop protected from the elements, I desire simply to be and to think. Here time is fecund with possibility. Around me others are here for the same reason, a place to be where the differences in lifestyle, economic status, the weight of fortune, become a…
“What the hell do you have to lose? Give me a chance. I’ll straighten it out. I’ll straighten it out. What do you have to lose?” The mostly white crowd cheered. Donald J Trump — appeal to Blacks and Hispanics, Ohio, Aug 22, 2016 I In the world forever one With the informing Love That…
Its a bitter morning, dark and 7 degrees when I last checked. But now the sun illuminates the parking lot, suggesting what lies ahead today will be agreeable. Whatever my mind ruminates upon, there is always a lot more going on. VI We travelers, walking to the sun, can’t see Ahead, but looking back…
In a few days a casino magnate and Reality TV Show celebrity will be inaugurated as President of the United States. The Republican Party with its new majority in both houses of congress cannot wait to destroy the health care insurance of millions by repealing Obamacare. Never mind that they have nothing to put…
New Years day, the weather is pleasant. What better way to begin the year than by taking a walk. I decided to visit a creek that runs between two subdivisions, then flows under Midlothian Road, cutting it’s way behind the Park District water park. The creek just over Midlothian Road is damed by a…
