M&Ms: A Parable

June 24, 2020–Note: This column is not a metaphor for any current situation, nor is the writer responsible for any lesson readers may take away. M&Ms have always been my favorite candies. So much so that when I was banished overseas for two years, it was one of...

Ways to Say Nothing

June 10, 2020– “Our diversity is our strength” “We are all in this together” “Due to an abundance of caution” “Thoughts and prayers” How many empty phrases can one language tolerate? Our minds are a file cabinet of sayings. When a certain situation arises, we...

Influencers

June 3, 2020–They call themselves Influencers. We called them the cool kids in high school–cheerleaders, quarterbacks, the guys who could play the chords to Smoke On The Water, and the seniors who drove nicer cars than the teachers. We science fair nerds and future...

Purging Stuff

May 27, 2020–As are many of you, we are using this time to clean house. We call it The Great Purge. So, so much stuff. When we moved to our little property, one of the perks was a 600-square-foot barn. Forget your hot tubs, decks, and “oak-covered views.” This place...

Black Markets

May 20, 2020–I’ve always held the controversial opinion that no one knows the true extent of our cash economy. All those reports of retail activity, employment, GDP, etc., are based on data of transactions taking place within the official economy. They don’t include...