Trying to stay optimistic in difficult times

If the world is divided into optimists and pessimists, I’d place myself among the former. My life story hasn’t been without its difficulties, having lost my father and then my first stepfather by the time I was 8 years old, but my wonderful mother, who wanted to make her life and those of me and […]

Kamala Harris

After waiting a long time for Joe Biden to make his choice for a running mate, I really do think that Kamala Harris is an excellent one, and probably the best among the names I knew of. I think she’s smart, with good experience as a Senator for the past 3-plus years, and relatively young–all […]

Hail to the Redtails?

A piece of welcome news (when there isn’t much good news) at the beginning of July 4th Weekend is that Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins football team, is finally seriously considering changing the team’s name from the current one, that’s clearly a racially derogatory one, and that many people, including me, have […]

A real national conversation

If there were ever a time that a national conversation was needed, that time is now, a month after George Floyd’s killing, with the subsequent and ongoing outcry across the country for justice for all the people no matter what their origins are, on top of the continuing, and possibly worsening, COVID-19 pandemic. It’s increasingly […]

An idea about police reform

In the national uproar since this past Memorial Day, there’s been much talk about “defunding” or even abolishing the police. First, I have to admit that I have no expertise in this subject at all. I definitely don’t agree with the idea of abolishing the police. There are certainly people who commit dangerous criminal acts, […]

Kneeling

Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, was the one who began the custom of kneeling during the National Anthem ceremony at the start of games, rather than the customary standing, with hand or hat held over the heart. This was done in recognition of injustices toward African Americans, including the abundance […]

Maybe something’s getting better–the chances of beating Trump.

When Donald Trump was inaugurated as our President on January 20, 2017, I said that he deserved a chance to show that he was worthy of the office. I never supported him or his ideas in any way, and, from seeing his behavior and hearing him speak during the 2016 Presidential election season, I certainly […]

Two Great Jimmys of Jazz

Today I’d like to write to salute two great Jazz artists who have passed away recently. Earlier this year, on January 19, 2020. Jimmy Heath, the wonderful tenor sax player, the wonderful tenor sax player, passed away. He was the younger brother of Percy Heath, a great Jazz bassist, and a member of he Modern […]

Getting back towards normal

I think pretty much everyone, including Donald Trump, realizes that really getting life in the USA back to any semblance of normal depends on real treatments and prevention of SARS-CoV2, the the cause of COVID-19, meaning antiviral medications and vaccines. Remdesivir is an encouraging start as a medication, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be […]

A most wonderful book

As an emerging agnostic, verging on atheist, who’s interested in many aspects of belief and non-belief, I’ve read books by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitches, and Sam Harris. They all give excellent, rational reasons for non-belief in a supernatural being such as “God”, all of which I agree with. There is a certain amount of anger […]