People sometimes mistake cunning for intelligence. The attributes aren’t related.  Cunning comes from the gut, an animal instinct that assesses danger or opportunity and is necessary for survival.  A cat, hiding in the grass, its eyes fixed upon a birdbath is a visual expression o

A friend sent me an email this morning to say that in honor of the times in which we live, she was writing a new version of the Jabberwock.  I replied to her post as follows: “I woke up today with a new first stanza of the poem tumbling in my head.” For those who have yet to meet

The trouble with a mystery is that while it piques curiosity, It also invites suspicion. Imagining bad motives on some other person’s part makes compromises difficult and erodes a sense of community. Anyone who’s followed these blogs, even occasionally, has encountered one of my d

Is America becoming more conservative or more liberal? That depends upon how you read the demographics.  Four out of five Americans live in urban areas, (“Notes” The Week, August 17/24, 2018, pg. 16), and if your believe  a report in the Washington Post, urban areas tend to vote

When I was in public life, I became friendly with a journalist from my city’s daily newspaper. She was an excellent writer and while I didn’t always agree with her, I respected her research and her insights. When we were seated together one afternoon for an interview, I let slip t