Advice for President Trump with apologies to Dr. Seuss. It is clear our president needs another television gig. Just keep him away from debates. He hasn’t figured out that the other person —and the moderator—get to talk, too. The first debate is what it is — I mean was what it was —and I suppose Trump backers wish it wasn’t. Sometimes debates bare the ugly truth of who you really are— as if we needed any more [...] READ MORE
Sometimes it takes some digging to get to the truth I guess you might call this the era of fake news, so our biggest challenge as informed citizens is to get real and not live life like a reality show. It’s about exploiting our biases with adulterated or downright phony stories that get passed along until they amass hundreds of thousands, even millions, of believers. The 21st Century version is nurtured and promulgated by social media and [...] READ MORE
Something for those scared to death of dying? It seems that people are becoming increasingly aware of the value of history and the lessons we should be learning from it. Museums and historical societies are all around, supposedly to sustain our understanding of the past, as well as its impact on our present while providing guidance for the future. Driving across the wide expanse of Virginia over the weekend I saw a big billboard proclaiming Cooter’s Place, [...] READ MORE
Here’s a story a fellow shared with me after the funeral of a mutual friend. He swore it was true, but even if it’s not, the message is worth repeating. The names have been changed to protect the ignorant. Ralph had worked in a management capacity for a small company whose chief executive officer not only took him for granted but treated him quite shabbily. Ralph was good at what he did and worked long hours, but he got [...] READ MORE
I know a little something about fake news. I manufactured a news article years ago in an April 1st issue of another newspaper and stirred up a storm of controversy. Anyone who read beyond the headline and the introductory paragraphs would recognize that it was not on the up and up. That’s on the up and up, as in factual and legitimate, and the article had become so outrageous by the final sentence, concluding, of course, with “April Fool!” [...] READ MORE
