I have a friend who grew up in Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. When he told me that, my eyes took on a far away, dreaming gaze. “Wow,” I said, “that must have been great…” My friend snorted with contempt. He disdains the Baseball Hall of Fame. Of course, that […]
It’s autumn, and drab autumn at that. A summer-long drought means dull colors and rain from a couple nearly-spent hurricanes is bringing down the limbs with the leaves. The schools are in full swing and Congress is heading back to Capitol Hill, also thinking about education. Everyone in government wants to spend more on education, […]
Perhaps the strangest thing I’ve seen on television this year was the clip last week of National Security Advisor Sandy Berger saying that the U.S. is not the world’s policeman and that the situation in East Timor is an Asian problem and would have to be solved by Asians. Just six months ago, Mr. Berger […]
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time in West Virginia. The people I met there were wonderfully unpretentious. A local story then making the rounds ended with the line: “Honest officer, I was just helping that sheep over the fence.” I relate that story less for its barnyard humor than its […]
The September issue of Consumer Reports will be hitting the newsstands any day now and you may want to pick up a copy. It’s worth checking out. It includes a list of foods that contain genetically-modified ingredients. I haven’t seen it yet, but I think this list will run to many pages of fine print. […]
The college students return this weekend, high school football teams have been practicing for two weeks. Mornings are cool in New England and summer is nearly over. The school year begins next week or the week after, depending on where you live, and school officials have been busy hatching plans to improve local education systems. […]
Where I Live
When you get to a certain age, you find yourself trying to explain your history to the generation that’s coming after you. You think if you can do this, it will help them make sense of the stages of life as they pass through. It may even help you make sense of your own life. […]