Usually, watching and reading the news, especially statements and claims by those who make it, puts me somewhere between despair and outrage. This week. I tried a new approach, listening for what wasn’t said.… Read the rest
The death of Pope Francis has prompted more praise, comment, criticism, cliches and solemn analysis than I can compete with, or even match. Instead, I’ll share a few anecdotes and a personal conclusion based on travels with three popes.… Read the rest
With the exception of their host, the leaders of the G7 gathered in Italy are demonstrably confused about how to deal with surging right wing populism. The advice they need was provided by one of history’s most storied right-wingers, Charles de Gaulle: “Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back upon himself.… Read the rest
If you’ve got good health and a decent pension, being a retiree has a fair share of perks, not least of which is freedom from the downsides of going to work. As a beneficiary of those, I’ve been amusing myself by conjuring up sympathy for people with jobs that make me wonder why anyone would want them in the first place.… Read the rest