I’ve been catching up on my reading, and I realized we’ve just passed another interesting anniversary. Ellis Island formally closed on November 12, 1954. I visited the island while chaperoning a middle-school educational trip to New York City about 15 years ago and got to see the museum. More than 12 million immigrants passed through its gates in
This is a piece I first posted on July 10, 2015. It was originally published in the Dayton Daily News at a time when a wave of terrorism was sweeping Europe. Sadly, it seems even more appropriate today, so I’m reposting it. My brother came home safely. I think about this every time there is another
I’ll get right to the point on this one. I’ve just listened to a podcast about a woman whose computer files (over 5000 of them) were locked and she had to pay $500 to ransom them. Yes, there are cybercriminals who can remotely take over your computer, lock your files, and demand payment before you
The nice folks at Bewildering Stories have published another story of mine in issue #643. It’s entitled “Distant Replay” and is based on my wargaming hobby. This issue’s link is — http://www.bewilderingstories.com/
I haven’t posted anything recently because I’ve just returned from my 45th college reunion. I don’t publicly announce my travel, so I hope everyone understands the lapse. If you’ve ever looked on my Facebook page, you know I graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970 and retired in 1990. I haven’t returned to the
Yes, it’s a bit early to think about winter. But then again, it will be here before you know it. Collateral Damage Once they were strong, solid, dependable, upright. Now they are angled in different crazy directions. Some can barely stand. Here’s one almost on the ground. They are mailboxes
September 26th was the European Day of Languages, an event this country would never think to have. But in Europe it’s an annual event which started in 2001. According to The Writer’s Almanac, it s purpose is “to celebrate human language, encourage language learning, and bring attention to the importance of being multilingual in a
During a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had stayed for three nights at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It was an older hotel, but nice, and conveniently located on Hollywood Boulevard. Everything was fine until the van ride to the airport Sunday night, when the van driver casually asked if I’d seen any ghosts. Excuse
While I was out running today, I was listening to NPR and I happened to catch an interview with Eileen Pollack, author of The Only Woman in the Room: Why Science is Still a Boy’s Club. The author grew up in the 1960s and ’70s dreaming of a career as a theoretical astrophysicist. Although she got
Every once in a while, something piques your curiosity. I saw the stage play The Miracle Worker at Wright State University in September 2012. It was billed as the true story of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. Personally I can’t imagine navigating the world without sight or hearing, and I know certain compromises/adjustments