At left is what the great C.S. Lewis advised a “schoolgirl in America” on the subject of writing. I was particularly taken by his point #3: “Write with the ear.” In my constructing my sentences and paragraphs, I try to …
Category: Sustainability
Learning from History
Yes, the situation here is sad, but keep in mind what Hegel said, “The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn anything from history.” Also, remember that this “large chunk of America” is far meaner and …
Tagged with: Learning from History
These Are Scary Times in the U.S., But Might We Get Through All This?
I’m sure Stephen King was sincere in what he said here, but mightn’t this all work out OK? Sure, the United States has decommitted to helping the planet avoid environmental collapse, and has consolidated power in the executive branch, establishing …
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Tagged with: hope springs eternal
Trump: Is There a Limit to the Damage He Will Do?
If you take the damage Trump inflicted on our country (and the rest of the world) yesterday and multiply it by the number of days in four years, you get a startlingly large amount. Yet it’s finite, and more to …
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Tagged with: Trump: Is There a Limit to the Damage He Will Do?
Defining “Woke”
According to this article, many people who decry wokeism have trouble defining the term. When challenged in this regard, I borrow from what etiquette maven Emily Post said about manners, in an effort to calm an anxious lady who had …
Massive Scam
The reader who sent me this answers his own question “bottled water.” Excellent response. Staying hydrated is a very strong idea, but ruining the planet with microplastic is horrendous. How hard is it to re-use containers? The other thing that …
Tagged with: microplastic
A Rarity: Improving American Education
I just met a senior executive at HopSkipDrive, an organization with an Uber-like business model, but one that focuses on providing a safe, reliable alternative school transportation solution. My new friend says that the typical schoolchild might be in foster …
Tagged with: American education
Word Choice
A reader asks: I really wish I could come up with a better adverb than “really” to emphasize or to express enthusiasm, which I really use way too often. But I really can’t think of one that does it better. I …
Tagged with: Word Choice
Is Our Existence a Problem?
This from 20th Century German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist Erich Fromm. A smart guy, to be sure, but to his point here, I’m with Socrates, who said famously, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” …
Foreign Aid
Apparently, some people are unaware that U.S. foreign aid is focused on maintaining freedom and stability around the world.
Tagged with: U.S. foreign aid
