Tag Archives: Dick Cheney

The Grandkids

It’s mid-September and scientists are floating around the Arctic, something far easier to do this year than ever before.  Other scientists are far away, peering at satellite photos and maps.  They’re all doing the same thing: trying to gauge the minimum extent of the north polar icecap. This is the week every year when the […]

Thousands and Ten Thousands

I have a friend who came back from serving in Vietnam 40 years ago. Shortly thereafter, his father, who owned a liquor store, was shot and killed during a robbery. The killer was African American. My friend’s family is white. “I used that for a long time,” he told me. “I’d say, ‘It’s OK for […]

Stop Making Sense

Yesterdays’ Wall Street Journal carried an op-ed attacking Barack Obama for a draft executive order which would require businesses contracting with the federal government to disclose their owners’ political contributions over $5,000. One of the authors is John Yoo, who famously wrote memos authorizing torture for the Bush administration. So, on one hand, Mr. Yoo […]

Too Late Smart

The envelope arrived Tuesday. The dreaded envelope, the one I knew was coming and containing the invitation to join AARP. It hasn’t happened yet but yes, I will soon turn 50. Like KFC, AARP is now just a set of initials. The initials used to stand for American Association of Retired Persons, but in 1999 […]

The Death of Earth Day

Let us now mourn the passing of Earth Day, on this its 40th birthday. The dear old girl had been sick for many years. I remember mocking the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in 1990. I was living in Washington, DC at the time and a big rally / sales event was held on the […]

No Foolin’

Happy April Fool’s Day. This is not a joke. No one seems quite sure why the first of April is called “April Fool’s Day.” The first reference to the day is in “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale” in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” In the story, a fox and rooster trick each other in turn. So […]

Taking One for the Team

Lately, when I sit around and talk about sports with my friends, I ask this question: “Rank the order in which you think professional sports are more or less honest.” It’s not easy. Most people agree pro wrestling is at the bottom and boxing and horse racing are not far from it. Not that any […]