With a few Latin words, Pope Benedict XVI did what no Pope has done in almost 600 years – abdicate the Papacy!  His announcement sent shockwaves around the globe and sent the world atwitter (all puns intended) with speculation as to the reason for his sudden announcement and departure.   Most people who give notice [...]

  On Saturday of Labor Day weekend, my Dad – in his mid-eighties – called me to report a problem with his computer.  This is not an unusual occurrence, as my nieces and others from whom he solicits technical assistance can attest.  He told me that there was an icon-like image of what appeared to [...]

  As we mark a year since Osama bin Laden was brought to justice, the following verses are apropos:   As we gather at ground zero to honor and  respect the heroes that gave it their all as the towers did fall and a wrong that won’t be forgiven   As America wept our flag [...]

  You may think the title of this post makes no sense.  But, follow along and you may be amused.   When I moved my office to its current building, I was intrigued by the security door at the top of the stairs leading to its second floor location.  During my visit to the building [...]

Human beings are an odd race.  Their clinical advancements have restored sight to the blind, replaced hearts in near-terminal cardiac patients, and cultured babies in test tubes.  Their lofty goals and scientific quests have taken them far beyond the moon, to view, map, and study distant galaxies through state-of-the-art instrumentation.  Their humanitarian souls have built [...]

In the days before we’d inherited a mortgage, the hubby and I enjoyed traveling overseas.  Our first foray, buoyed on the pages of Tom Fowler’s The Magus, was to Greece. Our arrival in the Athens airport was not auspicious; two weeks earlier, terrorists had targeted that airport.  Too late to secure a refund, we assumed [...]

Veterinarians state that cats possess IQs similar to that of a human six-year-old child.  But vets lie.  From long association with two Applehead Siamese kitties, I can tell you that a human’s IQ, at any age, is miniscule compared to that of domestic felines.  I’d learned this before the second Christmas that Gremlin — named [...]

How often have you heard and dismissed the phrase “time is money” as an old cliché?  But, if you really give it thought, it makes a lot of sense.  If you hire a person to, for example, rake and weed your lawn, the cost includes that person’s labor as well as the supplies that he [...]

As the famous rhyme goes, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”  Indeed he did, ‘though the rhyme doesn’t mention the little fact that Columbus was waaaaaaaaaaay off course.  Intending to discover a shorter trade route to India, for its prized spices and silks, he pitched his scheme to the Queen of Spain.  Immediately, pesos [...]

As Moammar Khadafy (alternately spelled Gadhafi or Gaddafi) exits the world stage, fashionistas everywhere are no doubt mourning his loss.  Known for his cutting edge use of color, bling, and especially hats as fashion accessories, Khadafy was always outfitted to make a statement (although, the exact meaning of that statement was not always readily apparent). [...]