So much to be angry about and so little time. Okay, everybody. I just want you to tune in and mellow out, as they said in the commune before it was time-shared into a condo. Take a few deep breaths and count to ten. Now tell me, as calmly as you can: Why are we all so angry? Why all the sputtering and spitting? Have things really reached such a sad state? How is it that we’ve [...] READ MORE
Don’t be lonely too long or you might not have long to be lonely. Only the lonely know the way I feel tonight…— Roy Orbison Are you lonesome tonight? — Elvis Presley All by myself. Don’t wanna be all by myself.— Eric Carmen (covered by Celine Dion) Synonyms for loneliness and being lonesome include desolation, forlornness, reclusiveness and friendlessness. Just being alone doesn’t make all of us lonely or longing for companionship. Sometimes it can be quite [...] READ MORE
Reading can be a challenge to your attention span. Then again, it’s a way to get one back — if you ever had one. Mary and I have another day of isolation before we can venture out into the real world. We both tested positive for Covid earlier this week while on a family vacation at a beautiful home on the shore of Lake Champlain just a handful of miles below the Canadian border. It was a [...] READ MORE
Cheer up! We’ve always got death to look forward to. Sometimes we get so caught up in the mean spiritedness of politics and man’s inhumanity to man, which is one male chauvinistic expression feminists don’t seem to mind, that we lose our grasp on humanity and the shared assets and liabilities that make us more similar than different. We cringe through morning updates on the slaughter of innocents in the Ukraine as we brave the tirade of [...] READ MORE
Once you get to the top, the only way to go is down. There’s really no need to sprint to the bottom. Baby Boomers in their sixties and seventies were taught by our parents and grandparents to work hard and be loyal. Loyalty is a two-way street, or so we were told, and employers supposedly recognized and respected this asset as exemplified by our hard work and willingness to go the extra mile. Our parents were better [...] READ MORE
Potato alert: Get off the couch to enjoy better health. Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life.— Daniel Francois Esprit Auber (1782-18710 I crossed the line on Tuesday of this week. Furthermore, I shamelessly confess that I took a giant step backward at a crucial time in my life. But it’s all good. Sometimes, when it comes to protecting, even regaining, your health against the tide of aging, going back is [...] READ MORE
Sometimes the simplest demands can turn a man into a monster. Because the mask has become so polarizing, the extreme reactions aren’t really about being asked to wear one for an hour. It’s about communicating what side you’re on. — ProPublica, October 7, 2021, “We’re Losing Our Humanity and the Pandemic Is to Blame” In a well-researched October 7 article for ProPublica, Sarah Smith takes a fascinating look at how COVID-19 has turned Americans against each other, [...] READ MORE
Mask: For some the most obscene four-letter word. My wife, Mary, and I met with a long-time friend and his wife at a familiar meeting place roughly halfway between our home and theirs just outside of Harrisburg. That was in late August. My friend, both of whom Mary and I have known since we were kids, is immunocompromised due to several health issues and his advanced age. He is among the more highly susceptible to COVID, and [...] READ MORE
Choosing your medication: Who do you trust? I still watch the traditional television networks where they include advertising in the programming. Not only do they include commercials, but they claim a huge chunk of an hour-long program. I understand that there are between 15 and 20 minutes of advertising in a typical television hour. You can calculate the percentage on that, but you no longer need to rush to the kitchen to grab that snack during a [...] READ MORE
Speaking up for fellow codgers trying to track down Covid-19 vaccinations. I’ve finally figured out why everything is so screwed up getting the Covid-19 vaccinations into the arms of the most vulnerable among us to the worst effects of this crazy virus. There was apparently a Trekkie at the bottom of what has turned out to be another false promise— Operation Warp Speed. You may know that warp speed is a term from “Star Wars” and is [...] READ MORE
