The Hidden Life of Trees · 1 min read

The October Glory maple tree that newly joined our family began turning red a few days ago. We thought these were new leaves coming on, but looking closer discovered hundreds of maple whirligigs instead. ...

Full Speed Ahead!? · 4 min read

I increasingly feel like a passenger on the doomed Titanic as our co-captains order “Full speed ahead!” in disregard of icebergs evident all around. I’ve even wondered if the Trump/Musk duo are intentionally trying to sink our ship of state. ...

Fascism Anyone? 14 characteristics. · 10 min read

A fascist is not just someone whose political opinions differ from yours. Such generic labels are neither useful, nor accurate. But fascists and their regimes often do have common characteristics that help identify them. ...

Brace for Impact! · 2 min read

That’s the best three-word summary I’ve yet heard for the days ahead under a new administration, expressed by NY Times columnist [Patrick Healy](https://archive.is/C0nx9). ...

Rubber Band Resolution · 3 min read

Consider the humble rubber band. Lying around in a drawer, all relaxed and floppy, it’s useless. ...

October Glory · 1 min read

Gobsmacked by the beauty of the October Glory maple in our front yard. ...

Reclaim Armistice Day! · 3 min read

How many know that Veterans Day, as it’s been called the past 50 years, was originally designated Armistice Day, and remained so for nearly a century before the name was changed by an act of Congress? ...

Of all the sadness · 7 min read

Of all the sadness I’ve felt in this election cycle, one of the deepest has been seeing close ties of friends and family unraveled by “political correctness.” Long ago I learned the wisdom in asking myself, “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be in right relationship?” It’s a great question. And it matters immensely. ...

Trending now: our national identity · 5 min read

Within the week we hopefully will know the outcome of what seems to me “the most consequential presidential election of my lifetime.” While that phrase may sound like typical election hyperbole, the growing sense of angst I feel is due to what I see as a national identity crisis. Who are we, really? ...

Early voting · 3 min read

I recently stood in the early voting line for two hours and 45 minutes on Independence Square, along with more than a hundred others. In these fraught times, it was reassuring to find that during the long wait all remained cordial as we chatted and joked to pass the time. ...