Outside The Box

The photo is of American author and political anarchist, Edward Abbey. … More Just Sayin’

By the time you read this, my friends, the warm memories of another Presidents’ Day will be receding, but today we pay homage, blissfully and reverently engaged, somewhere between celebration and commemoration. Our discussion will be brief today, for duty calls. There is a sale, multiple sales, actually, to which we must attend in order … More Presidents’ Day

Sunset and evening star,And one clear call for me!And may there be no moaning of the bar,When I put out to sea My mother crossed the bar ten years ago last week, and my father followed her not quite five years later. The old family home passed into our keeping. There are a great many … More The Mystery

  With the passing of the recent taxpayer subsidized marketing and sports spectacle (for many of us, football ended in January with the National Championship), the season of traditions which begins around Thanksgiving, that time of year which, with its celebrations and observances inspires us to temporarily set aside our differences, can be said to … More The Sweet Spot

At the time of this writing, parts of the federal government have been shut down for almost a month. Perhaps we’ll all get a refund on our taxes, though it’s more likely this time without government will cost us more in the same way that food without additives or preservatives costs more at the grocery. … More The Greatest Show on Earth

Benjamin Franklin said, “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” The relationships we have with our fellow humans often present us with a choice between being right, and being happy. Every couple who has been … More The Right to be Happy

About ten years ago it began to be popular so say “thank you for your service” to veterans and active duty members of the armed services. It was a sign of the maturing of our social consciousness, and sorely needed after a generation of Vietnam veterans came home to both apathy and hostility from a … More Forever War

My mother loved her Christmas ornaments, and like many mothers she kept certain ones for many years. Carefully wrapped and stored away after the holidays, they would reappear just after Thanksgiving. Our Christmas tree hosted the most unlikely combinations of sparkling shapes; simple childhood gifts and class projects from the ghosts of Christmas Past. Some … More Another Christmas Story

Last week we remembered the 77th  anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which triggered The United States’ entry into WWII.  Every December 7th we acknowledge the sacrifices made by that great generation, and rightly so. Not too many years ago, that first paragraph could have been shorter. There was no need explain the … More Not So Great

Every family has at least one. Every neighborhood and office and every classroom has them as well. We’re talking about gossips: people who spread rumors and stir the pot. Our brains are wired to emphasize the negative, but some of us are addicted to the onslaught of neuropeptides that wash through our brains when we’re … More Stirring the Pot