Each in 200 words or less... Telepathy Five continents and countless villages. Millie was a seasoned Veterinarian Without Borders. She had helped save the lives of many animals caught in illegal snares, injured in fighting rings, and wounded by poachers. And those that lacked vaccinations, water, shelter, or proper nutrition. There were accidental injuries. And … Continue reading Three Short Stories →

Many years ago, on a trip to Las Vegas, we encountered a mother with her young son. The boy was in the throes of a tantrum as we boarded the top of an outdoor escalator. He was screaming, kicking his feet, and being a general nuisance as she held him – all the way down. … Continue reading Grow Up →

I’ve probably watched too many movies. I confess that while I’ve found some better than others, I’ve enjoyed just about every movie I’ve ever seen. Many were fun, and some were meaningful. Before someone accuses me of having no ability to tell good from bad, I want to add two things. Thing One: as a … Continue reading With All Your Faults →

Written while recovering from Covid. I admit I’ve spent way too much time scrolling through online news, opinions, ads, click bait, and various polemics. Discouragingly, most of what I’ve seen is noise – underscored by smug declarations of victory – sometimes using the expression, “mic drop,” among many others. Full disclosure. My non-charitable impulse is … Continue reading Mic Drops →

Information isn’t necessarily knowledge. And knowledge isn’t necessarily wisdom… When the worldwide web became available on college campuses, we generally agreed we would need to help students navigate the sea of information available, just as our professors had helped us learn how to search the library and evaluate books and periodicals. I remember growing up … Continue reading Vanity Fair →

A pep talk for myself – and others who feel overwhelmed… A Day in the Life by John Lennon begins, “I read the news today, oh boy…” I express the same thought just about every day. Sometimes I’m tempted to give up. “What’s the use?” many of us think. And it’s deeply discouraging to learn … Continue reading The Darkness →

In 1970, Sun Ra recorded “Myth Versus Reality.” It begins with the spoken words, “If you’re not a myth, whose reality are you? If you’re not a reality, whose myth are you?” What we call reality is entangled with stories – myths and legends – narratives that can illustrate deeper meanings than mere facts. The … Continue reading Myth and Reality →

Because this is the 90th post in the series, I want to take a few minutes to think about why I’m doing this. I’ve written elsewhere about some of my motivations, but it seems to me some might think I’m just being pretentious or trying to be something I’m not. I’ve never claimed to be … Continue reading Planting Seeds →

There was an unwritten rule in my college days. I’ll try to write it. A student may ask any pertinent question in class but may not ask about basic information from the assigned readings, unless there is a good reason to do so, such as to clarify an apparent contradiction or a difficult concept. During … Continue reading Just Asking Questions →

“Come with me if you want to live,” is a well-known line from the Terminator movies. Various characters say it to offer a way out of danger. The implications are clear: come with me or stay here and die. Of course, the characters being rescued want to live. If they didn’t, the story would be … Continue reading If You Want to Live →