In his 1837 novel, The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens became the first-ever author to use the now-trite axiom, “Never say never.” Dickens may have been a great writer, but he clearly wasn’t a genius. Never say never? Really? How dumb is that? Literally millions of situations cry out for those very words. For example, I can say with […]

I just read two very interesting articles on the U.S. economy, written from historical perspectives. They compelled me to share my own historical perspective. And what I want to say is more about our changing culture than our economy.One of the articles, by Julie Crawshaw of MoneyNews.com, notes that the “Misery Index”—the combined unemployment and inflation […]

Food. It’s something easily taken for granted. We hear about other parts of the world needing help and assistance, but often there are people who need help right in our own backyard. Surprisingly, Maine is towards the top of the list nationwide for the most food insecure. We’re 7th to be exact. That’s a high […]

It’s not often that I get to take four days in a row off. And this year, I counted down the days until Thanksgiving rolled around and I could savor the entire experience of an elegant holiday meal, the thrill of shopping for Christmas gifts on Black Friday, watching a huge early season college basketball […]

As Christmas approaches, Americans are once again spending a lot of money. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on the importance of self-control in our lives. Experience, an excellent teacher, has taught me many critical lessons. I learned word processing through experience. I learned how to use and teach statistics through experience. I learned how […]

A stranger appeared just as we were sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner. And he sat in the chair that we always leave empty to symbolize those, who due to death or distance, could not be with us this year.  The stranger then began to talk—and even sometimes sing. “Let us bow our heads. Dear Lord, […]

President Trump is making the federal courts conservative.  The effect could last for several decades. With the flood of his judicial appointments approved by the Senate and capped by the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, this view is widely accepted and feared by alarmed opponents.  For them, a “conservative” court means judges […]

“I’m jest ‘bout new-aged up,” said Windy Wilson, sitting down and flipping his coffee cup to the upright and fillable position. Mavis filled it. The other members sipping caffeine at the philosophy counter at the Mule Barn truck stop looked over at Windy. No one wanted to ask, so by the process of mind reading […]