The first news I heard of the massive earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey the other day, the word was that there were at least 1,600 dead. Then it seemed like every time I heard mention of the 7.8 temblor and its toll, the number got larger and larger. By this morning, the word was …
Are Americans the most gullible people in the world? Any reasonable study of the facts would put us at or near the top of any list. I’m going to throw out a few statements to consider and then look at them one by one. “America is the freest nation on earth.” “America is not a …
There’s an old expression, slightly on the vulgar side, that describes someone whose elevator doesn’t go to the top floor. “He’s crazier than a shithouse mouse.” If you have to think about that one a little, it’s basically describing someone or something that has been driven around the bend by the condition of his or …
I’m old enough to remember when calling a sports figure a goat wasn’t a good thing. Putting it in capital letters apparently changes everything. Once was the time when a goat was someone whose mistake at a key moment or simply overall poor performance caused his team to lose an important game. Nobody wanted to …
Phones are becoming almost unbearable in some respects. In fact, with the exception of our smoke alarm, the sound of a ringing phone has become the most annoying sound in our relatively quiet house. Before you tell me I’m old and should just get rid of my landline, it isn’t just the landline anymore. Every …
I HAVE LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO DESPISE RINGING PHONES Read More »
I have come to realize there are four stages in a man’s life when it comes to physical activity. I’m not talking about sports or sex. What I mean by physical activity is doing work around the house, particularly work that involves strength. Like lifting heavy objects, moving them around and putting them on high …
Do we have anything left that remotely resembles workable, civil political discourse? I’ve been listening to the audiobook of one of my favorite books. William Manchester’s “The Glory and the Dream” is a social history of the United States from 1932-72, and even though it covers a tumultuous time in our history, it was still …
When you live in a big country, it’s not all that shocking if you never go anywhere else. But when you have other countries just across the northern or southern borders, it is sort of surprising that 40 percent of Americans have never traveled outside the United States. Indeed, 11 percent have never traveled outside …
The last time I was in my parents’ house in Northern Virginia, my purpose was to sort through things and decide if there was anything I wanted to bring back to Georgia. I discovered some fascinating things, including a few I had never seen before.My paternal grandfather died before I was born, but my mother …
What’s mankind’s greatest fear that doesn’t involve actual physical pain or death? I’d have to say isolation ranks very high on the list. The idea that you could wake up one morning to find yourself the only living person in the world and know you would never see another human being for the rest of …
BEING COMPLETELY ALONE IS ONE OF MAN’S GREAT FEARS Read More »
