Dating is the process by which one person gets to know another better.  It begins with physical attraction, for if the parties are not attracted to each other, what is the point of dating?   Because it is often hard to hard to judge a book by its cover, and because even the prettiest and most […]

In creating a fortress of one’s home, one can take the obvious route of installing a state-of-the-art electronic security system.  Such a system includes devices that detect forced intrusions and simultaneously alerts the local police force of the break-in.  They usually include active, continuous monitoring by professionals.  With a system of this nature, one creates […]

Players in professional sports change teams so frequently today that it is a running joke that fans are basically “rooting for the uniform.”  Whether that uniform may be the hallowed pinstripes of the New York Yankees, Dodger blue, the silver and black of the Oakland Raiders, or any of the other familiar, immediately recognizable symbols […]

Given the doom and gloom press with which we are constantly bombarded, we often struggle to grasp positive news.  For the next few minutes, you can forget what’s burning on your browser’s home page and the screaming headlines in the newspapers.   Instead, settle in to read something uplifting: the story of a beloved Big Easy […]

As baseball has evolved over its long, rich history, statistics have assumed increasing relevance, becoming nearly as hallowed as sacred relics in the hearts and minds of fans.  As a young boy, for instance, I was acutely aware that Cy Young had achieved 511 wins, that Joe DiMaggio had a 56-game hitting streak, and that […]

Once upon a time, a string tied around one of our fingers signaled something important that we needed to remember. As our brains age along with the rest of our bodies, we find ourselves reaching more often for that string to tie around our fingers.  Unfortunately, like the jokes surrounding this practice, many of us […]

In 2005, in Mulvane, Kansas, a group of concerned citizens gathered at American Legion Post 136.  The assembly was outraged because protesters had disgraced the funeral of an American soldier by members of the Westboro Baptist Church.  Those protesting were extremely vocal and disrespectful in stating that the deaths of our service men and women […]

Born Teddy Samuel Williams in San Diego on August 30, 1918, the eldest son of May (nee Venzor) and Samuel Stuart Williams came into the world with a diverse ancestry.  His father’s heritage was Welsh and Irish, while his mother’s family hailed from Mexico.  Teddy came by his name in honor of former U.S. President […]

It’s hard to believe that the most famous battles of World War II took place on June 6th, sixty-six years ago.  I was 17 years old that day, and contributing to the war effort.  A tad too young to see active duty, I served as an electrician’s helper at the Philadelphia Naval shipyard, where I constructed […]

The other day a co-worker reiterated the title of the old Phil Collins song to me, Just Another Day in Paradise.  As the theme of the tune revolved around the impoverished, my colleague’s statement was as sarcastic as the song title, for he was having a rotten day.  His cynicism prompted me to examine some […]