“We can’t return, we can only look behind.” - Joni Mitchell Despite the persistence and power of memory, the seduction of the past and 20/20 hindsight, the arrow of time appears to go in one direction only: forward. It might be more accurate to say... Continue
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My roofer came out last month and told me what it would cost to fix my leak! After we bargained on the price, I calmed down. I asked myself, “Self, why do you feel so comforted?” Immediately, the other voice in my head said, “It’s... Continue
Human society today rests far less upon nature than upon the results of human imagination. Futurist and inventor Buckminster Fuller called it our “metaphysical” world, author Neil Postman calls it “technopoly,” and I call it our “cooked-up reality.” It was not always this way. For... Continue
Dear Bonnie: I owe the IRS a huge amount of money. My aunt died a few years ago and left me the proceeds from her IRA – about $200,000. I didn’t know that I would have to pay tax on it and I kind of... Continue
Be it ritual figures made for spiritual practices, decorations placed on everyday objects, hieroglyphs applied to rock faces, images created using colored sand, applied body paint, feathers or jewelry, so-called “folk art” is the natural and often spontaneous expression of the unity of creativity and... Continue
We live in an age of specialists and experts who identify themselves as at the top of their craft, experts like the financial wizards at JP Morgan Chase, who recently lost their company over $3 billion dollars. “Ooops,” they said. “We feel terribly stupid.” These... Continue
In our pursuit of self-identity we accumulate physical preferences such as hairstyle and body shape, various beliefs, likes, dislikes, and psychological habits. In general, we consider these accumulations personality, and once gathered, we protect personality with great devotion. In addition to personality, we also accumulate... Continue
That members of the Secret Service and U.S. Army shamelessly availed themselves of the services of Columbian prostitutes in advance of the arrival of President Obama is no surprise to me. For thousands of years, powerful men have blended their official power with their sexual... Continue
Does everyone have pent up hairballs or is it just me? Job security, pensions, investments, health, home ownership, and people’s moods are just a few hairballs in the air. What’s up? The cost of groceries, hip replacements, the divorce rate, homes owned by banks, violence... Continue
What, exactly, are we looking for, and why is it everyone is always telling us what we need and what to do? Need a new car? Of course you do and BMW has the answer. For that matter, so do Ford, GM and Chrysler. Need... Continue