My 91-year old mother is a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, formed in the crucible of the Great Depression and not to be swayed. Not that I’d want to sway her; it’s perfectly OK with me at this point. I’m just happy she’s … Continue reading →
A year or two ago, I went through a phase of energetic protest letter writing. I sent outraged (but always polite) missives to the NY Times, the New Yorker, and CNN, pointing out to them just where they might be … Continue reading →
Part 4 is percolating. But this isn’t it; not yet. I’m finding it slow going, perhaps because it deals with the Vietnam War. Astounding how that event casts such a long shadow even now–or perhaps especially now. I think Part … Continue reading →
(Part I) (Part II) How does a political identity begin? Political identities, like religious identities, start when we’re very young, and they start with the family. Later on, in our teens and early twenties, we may rebel, or we may … Continue reading →
I’m fond of pets, and as a child I had my share of fish, too. I won a succession of goldfish at a succession of fairs by tossing ping-pong balls into their tiny water-filled globes. Perhaps the shock of those … Continue reading →
Way way back in college in the 60s, when I was a psych/soc major, I was required to take many courses–many more than I actually cared to–on group behavior. One of the more tedious among them featured research, and the … Continue reading →
My post-election hiatus was fun, but if I don’t get back on this horse soon, I probably never will. So, here goes– I’ve spent the last ten days doing some editing (for pay, supposedly), and I’m exhausted with the whole … Continue reading →