”This tuber is insipid and mealy. It cannot be classed among the agreeable foodstuffs. But it furnishes abundant and rather wholesome nutrition to men who are content to be nourished. It is justly regarded as flatulent, but what are winds to the vigorous organs of peasants and laborers?”  So wrote Denis Diderot of the humble … More Content to be Nourished

Here’s the premise: Massive infrastructure and spending bills generally do not help ordinary people as much as they facilitate the transfer of wealth from average incomes, through corporate entities and into the hands of the wealthy. which exacerbates rather than relieves economic and social ills. After two terms under Franklin Delano Roosevelt and massive New … More Change My Mind

“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Are you spending too much time on social media? Here’s a quick fix: Ignore anything that didn’t originate with the sender. My incomplete, biased and unscientific study of the matter predicts that this would eliminate 95% of what you see on facebook or twitter, and free … More The Bonfire of Vanity

After the recent upgrade of my Windows operating system, Cortana suggested lightening up on the cream cheese I was spreading on my bagel, or switching to a low fat variety. I asked her how she knew, since I don’t use Cortana for shopping, but she said she didn’t understand the question. I think the refrigerator … More If Everything You Say Is True, I’d Have to Agree

If you’re one of the good people who still watch The Andy Griffith Show, you might get invited to our barbecue. This classic television series remains one of my favorite diversions, and a lonesome reminder that television is capable of doing some good. It stands in stark contrast to the snark, meanness and debauchery waiting … More You Ain’t Seen The Last Of Ernest T. Bass

Cuthbert Rumbold is an 11 pound Barred Rock rooster who rules the roost in our chicken restaurant and day spa. As is often the case with roosters raised by hand that lose their fear of humans, he can be a bit hazardous. “I would put that rooster right into the stew pot,” a neighbor opined. … More To Be Right, Or To Be Effective?

First of all, we’ll change the names to protect the guilty, but otherwise it happened just like this… About five years ago, a conversation took place between two lifelong friends: “I can’t believe you’re not going to vote for Pagliacci!” “I don’t trust Pagliacci, but I’m not going to vote for Krusty either. Besides, what … More It Is To Laugh

We left you two weeks ago in an unsavory mash of potatoes and political correctness. Most of the time we chop wood and carry water, enjoy the smell of of rain and the feeling of the sun on our faces. We wouldn’t bother too much with the growing pains of the world but for the … More There You Go Again

There is a lot to be said for the virtual world. The pixel universe gives us a place where ideas can achieve their full flower, grow and grapple with and bump up against other ideas to prevail, or diminish, or merge into something new, and all without having any real skin in the game. But this cannot happen when the gatekeepers of this universe keep their virtual thumbs on the virtual scales. … More A Eulogy For Piedmont

My favorite home movie stars my wife sliding down our snow covered hill on a sled, pursued by our two big-giant puppies. The big yellow one steals the hat from her head at the end of the run and plays keep away, bouncing around in the snow and snorting canine amusement. It reinforces my determined … More The Passing Winds of Change