“That guy is worse than Juan Williams.” These were my mother’s last words. I have chosen to interpret them as an indictment of Fox News and all other partisan outlets that have poisoned our ability to understand one another. In a nutshell, these words will always remind me that my mother, who I admired as … Continue reading Last Words →

“Tell us about the land of the many,” Matthew requested. “Did you mean to say, please, Matthew?” Mary answered gently. “Alright. Please tell us about the land of the many,” Matthew repeated. “First, children, it was a country called, ‘From Many, One.’ It existed in the time before.” “Before what?” Luke spoke up. “Before we … Continue reading Tolerance →

My maternal grandfather served in the South Pacific in WWII. One of the stories he shared with us was about being onboard the SS President Coolidge, a passenger liner that had been pressed into service as a troop transport ship. In 1942, the ship struck two US Navy mines off the island of Espiritu Santo, … Continue reading 45 →

I used to teach a first-year course in critical thinking. Prior to that, the course was known as “Justice and the Good Society.” In my mind, the two concepts are merged, because it seems to me a good society depends on critical thinking ability. But that’s not my main point. When I taught “Critical Thinking … Continue reading Privilege →

I’ll admit it. I like to receive “likes” for what I post. And I can see the usefulness of rating products and services. But we all need to keep these things in perspective. There is an episode of “Black Mirror” in which real-time ratings determined everyone’s social status. Enough “stars” provided a better job, a … Continue reading Likes and Stars →

According to Douglas Adams, “The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything” is 42. Of course, in The Hitchhiker’s Guide, the question itself remained a mystery. Because this is my 42nd post in this series, I thought I’d take a shot at the ultimate question. On second thought, maybe it would … Continue reading 42 →

Once upon a time, my dad was the general manager of a manufacturing plant. He liked to walk the factory floor and observe what was going on. He told me didn’t believe in using a suggestion box. “It’s better to talk to people,” he said. One day, Dad talked with a machinist who complained that … Continue reading Joe and the Machinist →

In the early days of text-messaging, I sent a text to my wife saying, “What about dinner tonight?” At least I thought I did, because we had been texting about our plans for the day. It turned out that I selected the wrong recipient, a young lady I had previously texted about a class-related question. … Continue reading And to Think →

Here’s an old musician joke. How many lead trumpet players does it take to change a lightbulb? Five. One to change the bulb and four to stand around and talk about how they could have done it better. The punchline is universal. Monday morning quarterbacks abound. There is no shortage of people who are willing … Continue reading With Great Power →

[Wearing a Chain of Office, or Livery Collar, dates from the Middle Ages, when it represented fealty to a member of the nobility or signified a mayor’s responsibility to his municipality.] “Welcome to Congress, Ladies and Gentlemen. According to the provisions of COPRA, the Chain of Office Public Responsibility Act, the President and Vice-President, all … Continue reading The Chain →