More than nuclear weapons or Obamacare, I think the most hotly-debated political subject this Thanksgiving has been the moral and ethical considerations of Black Friday shopping. Personally I find Black Friday shopping a bit silly and I don’t get the … Continue reading
You don’t realize it when you’re a kid–or when you’re a grownup for that matter–but the biggest night of boozing and partying in the calendar year isn’t St. Patrick’s Day or New Year’s Eve. It’s the night before Thanksgiving. If … Continue reading
Ninety-nine years ago today in the quiet fishing village of Martinez, California, the eighth of nine children born to Italian immigrants Giuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio entered the world, probably to little fanfare. The fanfare began soon after, and continued to … Continue reading
Today, of course, is a sad anniversary in American history: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. They say everyone alive at the time remembers where he was when he or she first heard the news. Every time I see … Continue reading
Monday’s post made an oblique reference to a few of my old go-to bits about politicians and your money. I thought it would be both wise and nostalgic to revisit those old friends, always timely and illustrative of so much … Continue reading
I’ve had a standard routine I’ve used on the first day of class for every course I’ve taught, regardless of subject, for the past five years. One of the new “first class” bits I’ve added in the past year or … Continue reading
When I discontinued this blog in November 2009 it was for one reason: I didn’t feel like giving away anything for free anymore. I gave up the blog, gave up the TV show, and vowed never again to print an … Continue reading
In 1974, Frank Sinatra released an album titled Some Nice Things I’ve Missed, a collection of his own takes on songs released by other artists during his brief retirement from 1971-1973. Having myself been “retired” for the last four years I … Continue reading
Four years ago I told myself I was giving up blogging because I refused to do anything for free anymore. Well, I still hate to do things for free, but the non-pecuniary benefits of hosting one’s own blog are just … Continue reading