In preparing to sell my home of thirty years, my real estate agent advised me to update it. More than just a touch up, it was more of a modest remodel that took considerable effort and expense. It was worth it; the house sold within... Continue

America’s current strategy of dominance now explicitly includes removing leaders of other countries by force or outright killing them. Killing political leaders used to be called assassination, a widely condemned practice. We used to place such brutality in a low moral category, even when it... Continue

When you live with and love someone for 50 years, you get at all: the fullness of youth, the blossoming of middle age, the challenges of getting old, memories of tenderness, vitality, decline, joy and sorrow.  I am a paternal type, a combination of care... Continue

It happens when you hit the tip of your index finger hard with a hammer. It hurts like hell immediately, of course, and you know you’re in for trouble. Then it turns red and begins pulsating. The nail quickly gets discolored as blood seeps under... Continue

The role of government in a democracy has always been a matter of contention. Should government’s primary effort be the protection of individual liberty or the protection of the common good? Proponents of the former believe the protection of individual liberty includes defending private property... Continue

The media is on fire about the Epstein files, and rightfully so. The files reveal the way an entire class of men – wealthy, celebrated, entitled – routinely connected with each other to share contacts, socialize and enjoy themselves, often at the expense of others.... Continue

The force of love is among the most powerful of human experiences. I’m specifically considering love between people, not love of country, ice cream, or the many other things we say or even feel we love. I’m talking about romantic love, in all its manifestations. ... Continue

“We’re doomed,” said my therapist. It was a notable moment that has stayed with me over all these years. He was a Jungian – not a school of psychotherapy known for being pessimistic – and he made this announcement while we were discussing humanity. I’ve... Continue

We imagine ourselves as having had a beginning, although at precisely what point in time it happened is uncertain, and that like taxes our end will come. We think of most things this way because that’s the way they appear and it’s what we’re taught.... Continue