If life were a person, he or she would be a cruel magician.  He/she would amaze people with his/her tricks.  Miraculous feats would elicit praise; sudden catastrophes would engender shock; pleasant surprises would create appreciation; disappointing setbacks would produce distrust.  And then there would be the final act, which in most instances would bring […]

     Call me a dinosaur, a romantic, a kid at heart or an inveterate dreamer, but I can’t help getting excited when the winter sports finally give way to (or at least make room for) talk of pitching matchups and pennant races.  Baseball has changed over the years, but it is still the single game […]

            A reader asked me recently if I ever grow frustrated in arguing politics with right-wing ideologues.  I had to think a moment before answering, and then realized that I do often find myself extremely frustrated when engaging in heated discussions with those whose views on political issues fall far to the right of mine.  […]

            As Congressional Republicans and their puppeteers (Rush Limbaugh and his like) decry the Obama economic stimulus plan as if it were a step in the direction of a socialist state, the specific allegations have gotten ever more outrageous.                I’ll only mention in passing that outrageous claims appear to be the order of […]