We are in the midst of a national conversation regarding what are the responsibilities of a nation of wealth to provide for its population. Assumptions as to what are the personal responsibilities of individuals to care and provide for their own welfare have eroded on a steady basis over the last 40 years, to the point where societies are Continue Reading
July 16th is the 41st anniversary of the liftoff of three brave explorer astronauts from Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral) in the greatest adventure of our modern times. It is hard to recall through the distant mirror of time the extent of the world’s focused attention, hopes, and unstated fears the crew of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins carried Continue Reading
Hollywood used to be about glamour. Its black and white films had a special translucence from the films’ unique sheen and soft focus, to the use of light and shadow to magnify underlying emotions or intimacy. The actor’s film persona became especially tied to the cinematographer’s skill. Is there any doubt to the smoky allure Ingrid Bergman possessed in Continue Reading
History is a fascinating subject, intrepreted progressively by the relative distance from the event, the collected evidence, and the participants’ memories. One of the provisos in learning from history is that history is written by the winners, and that the processes that shaped the outcome before the outcome was known is biased by projection of the winner’s view, not the loser’s. Continue Reading
The narrative regarding our current economic doldrums has been reflexively blamed on the previous administration by the current administration – along with the lack of consensus for two wars, climate change, border problems, poor international relations, callus views on the social safety net, immature energy policy, etc,etc. The storyline has been underwritten by a compliant media, to whom a particular Continue Reading
The elements of a great meal are different for everybody, but for me, the cornerstone is the perfect confluence of food, wine, and location. Tuscany, Italy makes it very easy to have any number of great experiences with its magnificent wines, food traditions, and locales. I would like to reflect upon a recent journey to put together a Sunday meal Continue Reading
On July 10th, 1940, an armada of planes lifted off from German air bases to begin the epic clash of wills between the forces of liberty and totalitarianism, in what soon would be referred to as the Battle of Britain. A little known secret weapon, radar, allowed the British air force to have early warning and engage the armada over the Continue Reading
France in the 17th century had a special definition for the poet-musicians who could emote the intense internal feelings of courtly love in lyrical fashion – the troubadour. The tradition of poet-musician transformed in the 20th century to the concept of singer-songwriter, with the quality bar established by Bob Dylan. Prior to Dylan, the talented singer-musician tended to interpret the Continue Reading
At the base of the majestic Sangre de Cristo mountains lies a small town with a history as big as the vistas of the ancient inland sea that lies before it. The Spanish explorer Coronado was searching for the mystical Seven Cities of Gold in the vast southwest corner of the North American continent, but stumbled instead upon small collections Continue Reading
Former President Clinton, eulogizing Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia at Senator Byrd’s funeral last week said the following: “He once had a fleeting association with the Ku Klux Klan, what does that mean? I’ll tell you what it means. He was a country boy from the hills and hollows from West Virginia. He was trying to get Continue Reading