Attitude Adjustment
Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American holiday rooted in sacred reflection upon our unique history. Yet will it be a day in which most of us are able to give thanks?
Between a Rock and a Hot Place
Next Friday the earth will cast its shadow on the moon in the longest eclipse of the century. But what light does it shed on us who live between this satellite and the sun?
The 11th Hour
The War to End All Wars came to a halt on 11/11/18 at 11:00 in the morning, and we’ve been living in its 11th hour aftermath ever since. What does that mean for each of us 103 years later?
Make Me!
Do you sense that people, in larger and louder numbers, are saying “No” to almost everything they hear and see in our country today?
Time to Reset
Halloween will soon overwhelm us with fantasy, food, fun and fear. But is it also one of our most important, indeed sacred, holidays?
Systemic?
Race has played an undeniable role in our nation’s history and culture. It both divides yet enriches our common life. But is America really a racist country?
Are you smarter than…? (pt 2)
Where do we stack up as intelligent beings, compared to other people or even to the smart technologies that we depend upon each day?
Are You Smarter than…?
If all people are created equal, why do some appear smarter than others?
(IOU)-FOs
Is the earth a unique haven for intelligent life, or are UFOs a persistent reminder that we are not alone in the universe?
Get Real
After a year of quarantine and in spite of continuing concerns and fears, students are back in class. But what should we want our young people to get from school this year?
Homeland Insecurity
September 11 redefined who we are and how we look at each other in the 21st century world. But did it make us more or less secure?
The Climes they are a Changin’
We’ve seen fire and we’ve seen rain during this summer of meteorological extremes. But what does it all mean?
For Heroes Proved
In days when hope is dashed and despair threatens to undo us, the valorous deeds of a few can lift our spirits and bolster our will to endure.
A Tale of Two Cities
A mad dash to freedom, some ferried to freedom, others left behind. Why does this look so familiar, and why is this our story to own?
The Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but…
Determining what is true from what is false is a skill we need to survive. Communicating truthfully will make or break the bonds of our relationships with others. But is it possible to do either?
Open your baskets…
At long last, school is opening across America. But what awaits those who will be teaching, coaching, and directing our children and teens, and what do we have a right to expect of them?
Diverse Opinions, Pt. II
The games of the XXXII Olympiad are a showcase of talent and hard work. They also teach us that diversity is a means, and not an end, to our prosperity and survival.
Diverse Opinions, Pt. I
Diversity has been part of America’s ethnic and cultural DNA from the Asian migrations of the Ice Age to the Euro-Afro-Asian immigrations that began in the 1600s. Yet accepting it and living with it remain our most vexing challenges.
To Know or be Known?
When we reach the end of our days, and in all points in between the cradle and the grave, is knowing more important than being known—loving than being loved?
Controlling Interests
Is life best lived when we are in control, out of control, or somewhere in between?