Our new President, Donald Trump, heard a number of inspiring readings during his Inauguration, as well as at the National Prayer Service the next day. It is hard to read body language, but for most of the time that I watched both events, I got the distinct feeling that he was bored. I hope I’m […]
Blog
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Wisdom on Death and the Afterlife
It is probably safe to say that many if not most of us are familiar with classic detective Sherlock Holmes. His creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), actually was ambivalent about his creation, and here we will honor that sentiment and focus on an element of Doyle’s life that was much closer to his heart: […]
Observations on Old TV Shows
Being unemployed for long stretches of time, then being laid up at home following a knee replacement, I’ve been submerged in television. I keep up with the news daily, but there has also been a proliferation of cable stations specializing in familiar shows from days gone by. I’ve been entertained by MeTV (Memorable Entertainment), COZI, […]
Learning from Rick Steves
I have become a huge fan of Rick Steves since “discovering” him on a Public Broadcasting System station last year. I have only traveled to and in Europe 10 times, primarily as a tourist and researcher, but Steves has made Europe the primary focus of his professional life for over four decades. In case you’re […]
As We Begin a New Year – and Era
As we in the US begin not only a New Year but also a new era in our political and national life, I offer again this Prayer for Our Country from the Book of Common Prayer: O God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may […]
Governance: Time to Question Our Two-Party System?
“Across the aisle.” “Bipartisan support.” “Third party challenge.” These are some of the terms we take for granted in our political discourse. Are any of us (beside those devoted to, invested in or paid by the Democratic or Republican party) pleased, however, by the often total inability, especially at the national level, to get things […]
The Fortune-Time Global Forum
The Pope and the billionaires. I have not seen too much news coverage of this, but Pope Francis met earlier this month with some of the world’s wealthiest business people. The Fortune-Time Global Forum, convened in Rome by Time and Fortune magazines, focused on the Pope’s call for a fundamental renewal of the global economic […]
Love and Public Policy
I recently attended a convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont with the theme “love heals.” The convention highlighted the work of Magdalene and Thistle Farms, located in Tennessee, and its amazing founding director, the Rev. Becca Stevens. According to its website, “Thistle Farms is a powerful global community of women healing from prostitution, trafficking and […]
Preserve the CFPB!
I have mentioned the great work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the past, but it needs to be highlighted again. It is extremely important to note that this government agency works for you! Here are some of the successes that the CFPB (the brainchild of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren) has had on […]
Helping Small Businesses Succeed: Initiatives from the Left
November 26, 2016, has been designated “Small Business Saturday.” This is a good time, then, to contemplate an area where both conservatives and liberals/progressives can probably agree: small business is extremely important to the US economy. How to support small business, however, is often a sticking point. While conservatives might argue that the “government needs […]