According to legend, Santa leaves lumps of coal in the stockings of naughty children. This year he may need 536 of them, one for every member of Congress and a lump for Trump. How have they been naughty? Actually, they have been shamefully negligent. They abandoned millions of Americans by allowing all but two of the pandemic aid programs to expire. The last two expire the day after Christmas. These programs offered economic assistance to fellow citizens who through no fault of their own

I am beginning to realize something.

I am beginning to realize something. That ... in the end, you find yourself throwing away the beginning. I am going through boxes that were stored and hidden for a long time. They each face a jury of one. Me. And they are guilty of no longer being needed. As I explore each box, though, so much rushes back. I found scrapbooks and notebooks thick with newspaper clips. All dutifully dated. The start of my journalism career. But those clips also were trophies. Seeing your name in print ... that

Mirror, mirror on the Wall, who’s The Greatest of Them All?

Mirror, mirror on the Wall, who’s The Greatest of Them All? For years the mirror told us, “Why of course America, you’re the greatest!” Now the mirror has a different answer -- not you. America is not the greatest country in the world. The United States is built on myth and story told by those who won. The truth is very different. Years of greed, lust for power acquired by free slave labor, the pillage and slaughter of native people, the continued misuse of power rationalized through the narrow

Like many of you, I grew up with the mantra the United States is the greatest democracy in the world. But what I never realized is how precariously fragile our democracy is. We've taken this for granted, as we have always comfortably assumed that no one would willfully poison our democratic waters, least of all the president.

Like many of you, I grew up with the mantra t he United States is the greatest democracy in the world. But what I never realized is how precariously fragile our democracy is. We've taken this for granted, as we have always comfortably assumed that no one would willfully poison our democratic waters, least of all the president. But for the last five years, we have had a president who at every turn has flagrantly denigrated and delegitimized our most sacred institutions that support our democracy;

December 5th is World Soil Day. Why does something as ordinary as soil deserve a day of celebration?

December 5th is World Soil Day. Why does something as ordinary as soil deserve a day of celebration? Soil grows our food and is a source for medicines and vaccines. Soil filters water, removing pollutants and excess nutrients. Soil recycles air and locks up greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change. And that’s not all. Soil is home to more than 25% of all living organisms on Earth! These critters range from microscopic bacteria to creepy-crawly worms and centipedes to burrowing badgers

As it turns out, this is a sequel to my previous perspective. Before Bluella, my VW Golf, delivered me back home, I was already contemplating Road Trip part two to spend more time with my family before the holidays and the onset of winter road conditions.