The Coronavirus pandemic is turning society upside down. Should the grandparents (the most vulnerable population) watch the kids with the daycare centers closed? How can migrant workers come to harvest our food if the borders are sealed? Should the National Guard be mobilized to help other states when their own state might be next? Of
Into Week Two of involuntary quarantine. I say “involuntary” because it’s not against my will (certainly not!), it’s just that I have no other choice — everything around me is being cancelled. My state is now under a stay-at-home rule. Being a dedicated runner and overall exercise fanatic, this news made me very concerned. How
“Only God Can Make a Diamond” makes a good advertising slogan, but it’s no longer true. Now diamonds can be made in a laboratory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_diamond). But should synthetic diamonds be considered real? How many romances have broken up because the diamond wasn’t natural? Or if you see an animal skeleton in a natural history museum,
To celebrate the first day of Spring, I’m republishing my poem My Rite of Spring, from my book Some Poems About Life, available through this website and Amazon.com. My Rite of Spring I consider myself a peaceable soul.I value all manner of livable things.Insects and mice, spiders and voles.Just about anything Mom Nature brings. But I do have
The more I study history, the more I realize how much important information never appears in most textbooks. For example, the role of women. I’ve just stumbled across the story of Lise Meitner, who was born in Vienna, Austria in 1878. She was the second woman to receive a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Vienna.
I know — virtually every day, week and month has a designation, sometimes multiple designations, to commemorate. That’s why I was not surprised when a friend told me today was National Freedom of Information Day (NFID). Why not? This day comes to us courtesy of nationally syndicated radio talk show host Jim Bohannon. Its purpose
I have been following the recent storyline about an unplanned pregnancy in the clever comic strip For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston (https://www.fborfw.com/) through our local newspaper. Of course, I have no idea what it’s like to be “with child.” All I know is the process ranges from sickness to discomfort to very
If you don’t believe good ideas can come from anywhere, here is some proof. On October 4, 1957 (when I was nine years old), the USSR launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. To say this unexpected breakthrough shook up the U.S. scientific community would be an understatement. Two of those who took notice were
After viewing the recent impeachment hearings and President Trump’s reaction, I’m going to throw out two words (and then run for cover): Greek Tragedy. Does anyone else feel like that’s really what we’re watching? The ancient Greeks loved their theater, particularly their tragedies. The plays that have survived the ages have inspired a genre with
I’m halfway through a long-term substitute teaching job with the special-needs kids, and it’s gotten me to thinking about communication. Specifically, how can you communicate with these students when half are confined to wheelchairs and most are non-verbal? I was discussing this recently with a friend, and she suggested pictures. That’s an obvious solution, but