I’m going for the Gold Medal in Couch Potato Olympics viewing. Since the opening ceremonies I’ve been planted in my living room recliner watching every televised event, and I’m loving it, and I’m guilt free. I’m not a big sports fan, but I’ve always been a fan of the Olympic Games, and I’ve never got […]
A Different Drummer: Today’s action movies have too much action
I saw “Jason Bourne” and “Star Trek Beyond” within a couple of days of each other. I came away all mixed up, dizzied by the audio-visuals and disappointed by one of the scripts. Watching these two action blockbusters back to back gave me a distasteful impression of the prevailing action-adventure trend. Too much action! I’m […]
A Different Drummer: Greedy questions
What the heck is greed and why do we have it? Is it an emotion, a desire, an attitude, a character trait, or a learned habit? Is it universal to all humans, or does it only affect a percentage of the population? Does it lie dormant in us all and only burst forth when the […]
A Different Drummer: Why can’t I read?
Why can’t I read anymore? It’s a frustrating conundrum. I have a mound of started novels by my bed, each with a bookmarker sticking out like tongues wagging at me from the first 100 pages. I keep adding more books to the pile, but I don’t add many pages to what I’ve read. What is […]
A Different Drummer: Old hippies often die young
I attended an Old Hippie Party one Saturday while visiting my childhood home in rural Pennsylvania. A dear friend, Annie Duffy, has been throwing this party for ten years to bring all the children of the Peace and Love Generation who grew up together during the 1960s and 1970s back under one roof again. The […]
A Different Drummer: On Living Alone While Married
I’ve been baching it for a month, living alone without my honey, tucked into our small Pennsylvania attic apartment, doing building repairs. Beyond the emotional loneliness, how did I fare? When I arrived I was able to empty my suitcases and put my clothes into the four-drawer dresser, sorted not stuffed. I put all my […]
A Different Drummer: On being apart together
I had to fly back to Ridgway Pennsylvania a month ago alone to build a new shower in our 100-year-old house and a few other chores. Because it was a work trip and not for fun, Susan stayed home. It’s the longest we’ve been apart in 30 years. It was Susan’s suggestion that I go […]
A Different Drummer: Scammer jammer dropped his hammer
Susan and I almost got scammed by international crooks who contacted Susan with a popup that read: “Comcast Xfinity Customer: Our system scans have detected serious malware originating from your computer…You are subject to permanent account suspension and fines for network damage. Call (888) 367-0212.” At the bottom was a case number. She freaked […]
A Different Drummer: Season of the wolf
Endangered species sure cause us a lot of problems in every sense of the word. First of all, they are endangered. That is the keystone problem. Also, they are endangered by thousands of acts of man from construction to agriculture, to the use of environmental toxins, and plain stupidity and disregard. It seems that anywhere […]
A Different Drummer: Two weddings and a funeral, Part 2
his is a continuation of a conversation at a backyard convocation over coincidences and comparisons of my wedding and that of my friend Gino’s that I began last week. We were sitting around an awesome new propane-powered fire pit keeping warm at night in the yard talking about how three guys from Pennsylvania came to […]