It's May Day, a somewhat overlooked holiday in our time. In some quarters, it's used to celebrate revolutions or governmental takeovers. In other places, its just one of the early Spring days, maybe a precursor to Cinco de Mayo. But right now, something else is taking center stage.
Personal experience, including an event that took place last night on New Year's Day, 2020, has convinced me that modern sports involve a level of violence and injury that needs to be addressed and corrected. This article details that concern and invites solution from my readers.
Our culture and the world are changing rapidly, but some changes can't be anticipated before they're here. A few examples make that abundantly clear, as you'll soon learn in this article on technology and change.
Is our ability to read, write and converse with others delcining or dying out? What's been the impact of technology and digital communication on our public and private discourse? Do you write letters, or just text and send emojis? Do you read long articles or books, or only absorb info in snippits?
In the past few years the U.S. has experienced a rise in hate groups, divisive rhetoric and the trashing of laws and norms. Something has to be done by the majority of Americans if we are to reclaim our heritage as a free and decent society. This article offers two sources of encouragement.
Earth Day set off a flurry of marches around the world. Here's one person's take on one of those marches . . . and what it signifies.
"Fake news" has been a frequent mime lately. Here's a way to approach what's happening now in the U.S. from a different perspective.
Most people like to shop. Most of us who aren't in the upper 1% don't like to spend money. So, how to buy without spending too much? Here are some suggestions.
Given the current political situation, it is important that we have a clear and accurate assessment of what is going on, so we can respond appropriately. Recently I've read two really good sources!
A barrage of 'fake news' has hit our country like a giant tsunami. What's the appropriate response from citizens who still care about facts and truth?
They say "talk is cheap." But talk can be costly too, especially when it's used in ways that undercut the integrity of language and ideas and our society. Here are three ways to examine public speech.
As November 8th, 2016 approaches, it's time to reflect on where we are as a nation politically and how we got there. That perspective requires an examination of the word 'republic'.
A FABLE: The presidential campaigns re: 2016, have little in common with other cycles. There have been third-party candidates before, in-fighting or splits within parties, but now it's at a new level!
Truly creative art works take us out of the realm of the ordinary, either by showing us new things to view or new ways to view ordinary things. Artist Ludmila Pawlowska does both!
Religion is a touchy subject. Let's not make it any harder by trying to 'dumb' it down.
Candidates for President of the U.S. are coming out of the woodwork already, so it's not too early to sharpen our voting skills and train our ears and minds to listen well to what is said.
Current events continue to raise the issue of violence, whether it's beheadings in Syria or NFL players attacking people in their own family circles. What's behind it, and how to counter its spread.
At the end of August, 2014, a 9-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed her gun instructor with the Uzi sub-machine gun she was trying to use. The video caused a flurry of commentary and protest.
A Satirical Rant with a Serious Intent: 'How you too can circumvent the chaos of the call-center world, not to mention billing errors, and vent your outrage in the process!'
Racism is 'alive and well' in our world, despite hopes to the contrary. How can we confront and overcome this horrendous scourge in ourselves and others? Here's a starting place.
Yesterday an intriguing thing happened at our house. A young hawk showed up on our deck railing. author's photo That’s unusual, though we see hawks fly around the field in back of us all the time, and they perch in tall trees near us. But to...
Vladimir Putin’s troops are in the Crimea, annexing that area by a show of force even before the announced “vote” on March 16th that is already certain to ratify his immediate goal. Meantime, 10,000+ Russian troops and equipment are massed on...
Do your holidays lack meaning and purpose? Are you searching for a fresh approach to celebrating? Then this article may be just what you've wanted.
Small things matter, and if they emit positive energy they really matter! Here's one encounter that makes that point, a lesson for us all.
Lots of trash-talk has been directed at the current President of these United States. Maybe it's time to take another look at our elected leader and "get a grip."
It's been five years since I wrote an article about our Prius, 'straight talk' for those swayed by common myths and misconceptions. Here's an update on our experience, plus a helpful tip re: all cars
Digital photography and phones outfitted with camera lenses make it easy for anyone to become a photographer. But what makes it easier to become a good photographer? Here are some shorthand helps.
While Congress pouts and points fingers, the rest of us need to get on with living. A public art project in Sarasota, FL, just might be the key. Take a look at what's being done there every spring!
Once upon a time the only way to get published was to enlist an agent and publishing house to do the work for you. Now there's self-publishing. Here's a firsthand account of how to use this new tool.
Writers are like great chefs who don't mind sharing their secrets. This article presents nine tips from one writer to others, hoping to be helpful and encouraging to those who love writing.
One person's quest to get published and what he's learned from seeking an agent, asking others for advice, and studying print-on-demand publishers.
Visit a bullying workshop at a middle school and learn first-hand from students there how such abuse happens and how to counter it.
Without this tool, success in any field will be missing - or so slow to develop - that you may never get where you want to be. I know. For years I didn't want to try a new approach. No longer!
Are you 'on the fence' about the need for gun safety and rules to keep guns out of the hands of irresponsible people? Then here's a little factoid that may help you decide to get involved now.
How do children learn? Are there limits to human capabilities? Can a little child lead us all? It appears so. Read this article and discover how.
Everyone knows that our current political system is chaotic. But before we can solve the big problems that face this nation we need to understand how we got to this place. This article tells us.
Having high expectations for a grandchild (or any other person) always produces solid results. In this article you'll learn why.
Here's a painting tip that really works. Try it. You'll like it.
Two more ways to structure your comments and foster positive growth in others. DO try these at home!
Here are the first two suggestions on how to tell your grandchildren (and any other person) the kind of individual they are . . . and can become. Presuppositions are powerful ways to guide and direct others, and encourage them to do good.
Tired of negative treatment of children? Want to know how to speak in ways that encourage your grandchildren (and all the adults around you) to become their better selves? Then this article on presuppositions is for you!
Four additional hints to help be the super grandparent you know you can be!
Want to be a better grandparent? Then read this first of a series of articles on how to do just that.
A collection of 20 photos taken around the world that might inspire you to a) take more photos yourself, b) marvel at the wonder of our planet, c) develop photography as a hobby, or d) discover your own passion in life. Enjoy!
"Use it or lose it." That slogan applies to just about anything for every human being, but recently I stumbled across an application for 'exercise' that I'd never before considered: exercising your brain. Oh, I've read ads that propose systems to...
Is it more important: to serve our own interests or stand with people who suffer? This article suggests it's not an either-or question.
They say that "life imitates art." But sometimes life imitates things that aren't nearly as pretty. This article is one example of that.
Every day new secrets to shopping pop up. In this article you'll learn just a few that relate to buying food items and gasoline. Want to save a few dollars? Read this!
A school girl on a bus is shot and left to die. What does that have to do with the rest of us? Plenty, and it all starts with what's inside us that either leads to hatred or respect.
A small poem on a humorous topic, one for which we all have intimate knowledge.
Education begins and ends with a great teacher, as illustrated by the anecdote included in this article. Who was your most influential teacher, and why?
Public television matters. Let's keep it alive and well!
Who's waging class warfare? It's the group that's telling us it's someone else!
The issue of fair practices for both labor and management involve a lot more than just unions, but that's where this article starts. Where it leads you is your responsibility.
Hints on how to write - from one who attempts it all the time.
What do John Steinbeck and today's foreclosure rates have in common? Read this article and you'll know.
Women's issues and how not to handle them: this article decries the political 'rape' of women's issues.
Hire a vet! It's do you, them, and our country GOOD!
A plea for sensible restrictions on gun usage, again! In the words of a famous folk song, "How many times . . . ?"
An inside look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from one who lives it day-to-day. You might say this is "straight from the camel's mouth."
A suggestion on how the 1% can help those truly in need. It's a small thing, but then the ocean is made up of lots of little drops.
A look at our children, now grown adults, who are still struggling in a weak economy. Maybe you just want to read this to know you have company as a caring and loving parent (or grandparent).
If you must shop the day after Thanksgiving (or on Christmas Eve for that matter), then arm yourself with these bits of advice.
A helpful hint on storing small batches of left-over paint. By the way, latex paint stores a lot longer and a whole lot better than oil-based products ever did.
For bird lovers, racoons and squirrels are more than a nuisance; they're a menace. This article helps you fight back.
Tired of getting glare when you use your camera's built-in flash? This article will help!
Women are getting the 'shaft' during this political cycle. A direct plea for party preference in voting. This article is biased. If you are, you won't read it. But if you are open-minded in the broadest sense, then - be my guest!
A first-hand report from the inside as to why we need health care reform, and what it can accomplish. Don't let the insurance companies and health providers bamboozle you!
My thoughts on hot topics of the year. Written down for you, the reader, to contemplate and use as stepping stones for your own musings - in hopes that we can still be a saner and more unified country.
A short play that dramatizes everything that's wrong with contemporary religion. If you liked Bill Maher's movie on religion, you'll find this instructive.
Vance Packard popularized the term "planned obseliscence" in 1960 - but the phenomenon is still with us. Only now it's technology that's 'wagging the dog' of progress. Are you riding the wave, or getting swamped by it? Read this article, and then figure out how you're going to cope.
A first-hand look at how new energy sources are fueling Germany, and what we can learn from our Deutscher Brüder.
Buying on-line can be risky, especially if it's not your usual method of purchase. Here are a few 'horror' stories, followed by some practical bits of advice to take the horror out of your next internet buy.
Is there a new kind of generation gap, one that separates adults from adults? You read this, and then decide.
The effects - and affects - of aging: how to counteract them.
Prejudice and hatred are still with us. Maybe reviewing how easily others have allowed those attitudes to dominate the discussion can help us avoid doing the same thing.
Kids not only say the darndest things; they also do them. Watch small boys 'mowing each other' down as they play in your back yard, think about the increase in bullying that goes on now with our children, and the shootings that occur almost daily in work places and schools - and then read this...
A true story about a man, some bells, and how he found healing.
No citizen of the U.S. wants our country to fail. That's why I wrote this article that highlights five attitudes that will doom our nation - unless we wake up and seek better approaches.
Religion that isn't. The truth about the lies we're told.
More tips on how to save when you spend.
Saving money is possible. It just takes persistence, and knowing a few not-so-secret 'secrets.' Here are my shopping gems, part one.
"Son of greed." This piggy-backs on my earlier article about excessive fixation on profits.
Six anecdotes that expose greed in our society. Gordon Gecko's of the world, depart!
A few money-saving tips at a time when saving money and spending less is crucial to us all.
The perils of U.S. health care - five case studies that detail things that are wrong with "the best health care system in the world." Really?
Do you own, run or what to start a small business? These tips may help you do a better job.
When you can't sell your home, renovate. Here are tips from my wife and I for doing just that.
Just what the title says: pithy sayings regarding life and religion - all original. Why not read them and then write down a few thoughts of your own?
"Guns don't kill people," it's said - or do they? I still believe in plowshares over spears. At least we ought to have an intelligent discussion about how many guns we need in our country, what kind they are and how they get used. Read this and then ask yourself what you can contribute to the...
A chapter from my novella that deals with a woman's struggle to face her husband's addiction to alcohol and come to grips with what to do about her relationship. If addiction is in your inner circle, this will hit home - hopefully in a good way.
Another chapter in my novella (if you've read every HUB of mine that comes from that little book, then you've read the last draft (it's just been revised, again)! This one is for all those 'middle-aged' people caught between the needs of their adult children and aging parents.
A testimony from an actual two-time Prius owner that provides accurate, first-hand information about energy efficient cars and counters popular myths about them.
Part of my novella about a variety of people who face life challenges as they occupy the same motel room at different times. Maybe you (or someone you know) struggle with job insecurity or a failed marriage or alcoholism. If so, this story is for you.
Two brief poems - one on the difference between doing and being, the other on Christmas.
A free-verse poem about life and its passing. Is this poem ominous - or wistful - or both? You decide.
A free-form poem about encounters with an elderly woman in a nursing home. What have your experiences with other people taught you?
Two poems that muse about life - what goes on in public parks every day, and what goes on around us when it's seen with new eyes.
Person musings on a birthday, and one life's meaning - or lack of it.
Nature has always been the focus of most poets. Here are two of my 'images.' What are your favorites?
Two 'takes' on life and God - one that debunks religiosity, and another that celebrates life in all its fullness. Think of these poems as two sides of the same coin!
This fable comes with two photos of the object that prompted this little exercise in creative writing. Creative friends in Kentucky gave me the rock with its imbedded foreign object and suggested we spend our supper hour making up stories about it. They both had tales spun in minutes. I had to...