Trypoxylon politum is the dress‑up name of the organ‑pipe mud dauber that builds its distinctive nests in barns and under sheds. The contents of those nests are a familiar discovery on the inquisitive journey of any child fortunate enough to grow up exposed to country living. Break open the nest and you’ll find stacks of … More Mud, Metal and the Myth of Diversity
William Tecumseh Sherman told the graduating cadets at the Michigan Military Academy in 1879, “I am sick and tired of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation.” In … More Strange Bedfellows
Let’s begin with a small challenge—something Alex Trebek might have delivered with that knowing half‑smile that meant the answer was hiding in plain sight. Consider the following passage and see if you can identify the speaker, or at least the era in which it was spoken: “Often God overturns the expectations of men, raising up … More Though The Ground Has Moved
The wrestling match had gone on much longer than I had anticipated, and I was beginning to tire. The floor was hard, my arms were aching with fatigue, and the Maytag dishwasher hadn’t even broken a sweat. This wasn’t the noble, steel‑bodied Maytag of old — the kind that weighed as much as a Buick … More The Fight To Repair
Marcus Aurelius encourages us to “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.” I read that in Meditations, inscribed on an ancient device that displays information via … More The Quiet Page
As we recoil from the unrelenting drama of world news and weather, we turn now to the renewable resource of wisdom and entertainment provided by the creatures with whom we share this world. We don’t have to look far. Dogs teach us unconditional love. Cats show us how to stay limber. Snakes remind us not … More Playing Possum
We used to call it “winter.” It is a season of extremes and, as far as the weather is concerned, a time of uncertainty. Most of you will read this after the long‑predicted ice storm has passed. This morning it hasn’t happened yet. The lights are on here and the house is warm. It’s a … More Occam’s Butcher Knife
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” There is both comfort and caution in the study of history. Genesis is a good place to begin, and if you widen your scope … More Objects In The Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
The decorations and the memories have been carefully wrapped and put away. The pants are just a bit tighter than they were two weeks ago. Elves did not magically finish the winter chores we set aside for the holidays, and there is still wood to be chopped and water to be carried. As a contrarian, … More The Pendulum Clutch
There’s a particular kind of disappointment in watching a once‑reliable machine die in an undignified collapse of cascading destruction brought on by the failure of a single, fragile part. The irony is sharp when it happens at the peak of our season of conspicuous consumption. My old washing machine didn’t fail on Christmas Day because … More When “Good Enough” Isn’t Good Enough
Outside The Box 