Politics, Moderate
/Politics
Footing our growing debt service bill
Well, that didn’t take as long as expected.
In case you missed it, our federal government is now estimated to pay more than $1 trillion a year to service just the interest on our national debt — about $200 billion more than we spend on our military or Medicare.
Why are we suddenly paying so much?
Because the cost to service our debt...Read more
Exposing ‘Bootgate’
Finally, the press is doing some hard-hitting reporting about our upcoming presidential election.
Some in the media are alleging that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wears lifts in his boots. Naturally, this “scandal” has taken on the name “Bootgate.”
Why does DeSantis’ height matter? Because throughout American history the taller ...Read more
A stylish way to improve men’s health and wellbeing
Hopefully, the rugged beard I’ve been sporting will motivate at least one of my fellow men to take better care of his health this November.
Every November, you see, two charitable organizations, Movember and No-Shave November, raise funds by encouraging men to not cut or shave their facial hair.
Both organizations have made November an ...Read more
The dying art of Halloween costume humor
Halloween is upon us, which means you’d better be cautious about the costume you choose.
Halloween has long been a staple of childhood, but in the past few decades it has been increasingly celebrated by adults — and for good reason.
Until recently, it was the one day where adults could dress up in funny, outrageous costumes that ...Read more
Hoping for a happier Autumn
Autumn is upon us, but it is making me a little bit sad this year.
I have always loved autumn.
I love the brilliant colors, the chilly air and the smell of oak burning in a fire pit.
Whereas spring is about new life and fresh starts — and summer about toil and sweat and a one-week break at the beach — autumn is about harvesting your...Read more
We need a rebirth of empathy
When I read a news piece about the passing of longtime California senator Dianne Feinstein a few weeks ago, some of the comments left at the bottom of the online article made me sad.
Feinstein suffered a very public health decline before she passed.
Anyone with the slightest sense of empathy would think “there but for the grace of God go...Read more
The President’s dogs that bite people
President Biden is being dogged by a unique White House problem.
About a week ago, Biden’s German Shepherd, Commander, bit a secret service officer — Commander’s 11th secret-service-officer biting since he moved to the White House in December of 2021.
Commander must have been following the paw prints of Major, Biden’s previous ...Read more
Love and honesty will get us through
It was a family event for the ages.
Last weekend, my family traveled to Gettysburg to attend my nephew’s wedding.
I drove my mother down Friday so she could participate in the rehearsal. We had a wonderful drive talking about a variety of things, mostly stories about my father, who we lost last year.
After the rehearsal, we attended a...Read more
Dressing Up for Senate success
I suppose it was just a matter of time before casual dress hit the U.S. Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has told the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms to no longer enforce the hallowed chamber’s informal dress code, which had required senators and their staffers to wear business attire.
Schumer’s directive appears to be tailor-...Read more
NFL bets on greed
“Only bet what you can afford to lose.”
That’s the message from the National Football League as its betting-company partners aggressively promote legal betting on pro football games.
For years the NFL was adamantly against betting in sports.
In 2012, reports the New York Post, the league’s commissioner Roger Goodell said: “If ...Read more
Thurber’s Tail: How to survive your sharp-toothed puppy
The bloodshed was everywhere.
It was all over my house, my parent’s house, my neighbors’ houses and splattered at any location in which anyone dared to pet my 9-week-old bundle of joy, Thurber the yellow Labrador.
I was desperate to stop Thurber's reign of puppy-toothed terror, but how?
Why Are a Puppy’s Teeth So Sharp?
Puppies...Read more
Jimmy Buffett was a super-spreader of happiness
There’s a reason the name “Jimmy Buffett” elicits immediate joy in the hearts of millions: happiness contagion.
A study conducted by Harvard University and the University of California followed 5,000 people for 20 years to determine if happiness was contagious.
The study’s finding: it most certainly is.
If you smile at a ...Read more
A smaller home is a happy home
Houses are getting smaller again — which is going to make many Americans happier.
Americans faced with high mortgage rates and a shortage of affordable homes for sale are opting for new, smaller homes that do not have dining rooms, living rooms, spare bedrooms and even bathtubs, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Builders are building ...Read more
Dogs and cats also facing tough times
There’s a lot of sad news to go around, but this Vox story really breaks my heart: animal shelters are overflowing with abandoned dogs and cats again.
A few years ago, during COVID isolation, there was a surge of people rescuing pets from shelters to fill their homes with lovable furry creatures.
It was the heyday of abandoned animals ...Read more
Paying attention pays off
Declining attention spans have reached epidemic levels.
That’s what Adam Brown, co-director of the Center for Attention, Learning and Memory at St. Bonaventure University in New York, tells Time.
That’s certainly the case with me.
As I struggled to write the first three paragraphs of this column, I searched autotrader.com for a new ...Read more
The Feds fail to see the light
Goodbye, incandescent light bulb.
You had a heck of a run before the government decided you wasted energy and effectively outlawed you out of existence.
The incandescent bulb remains one of the greatest inventions in human history.
By sending an electrical current through a thin filament that resides inside a bulb to keep the oxygen out...Read more
To aliens, human wisdom Is unbelievable
Last week a whistleblower testified before Congress, alleging that federal officials have concealed evidence of unidentified flying objects from the public for decades.
I’m not sure why advanced beings would want to talk to us, but if they came today, I imagine their visit might go something like this:
“Take me to your leader!” the ...Read more