Human Interest

The ball drops. The lights flash. The fireworks explode. “Auld Lang Syne” plays. When all those things happen at once, it can only mean one thing: a new year!

We all love a good New Year’s celebration, but with it comes the reminder of goals, responsibilities, and resolutions for the upcoming year. And if you’re like most people, somewhere in the middle of all your resolutions is money—as in, the desire to manage it better.

In the United States and countries abroad, there are many national awareness days in any given month. Many of these bring awareness to health concerns and important issues.

However, some are official or unofficial days probably declared by the bored, irked or goofy, I assume. Some celebrations are silly, some weird, and some ridiculous. Many revolve around glorifying food. Some are bizarre, some unique, and some funny.

Delicate snowflakes fall down, down, down

They whisper and wave as they hit the ground

Soon a collection gathers out my door

And I see snow piling high, evermore

I look t’ward the mountains and I cannot see

Those majestic peeks looming over me

The heavy clouds of winter are settled low

And my view of Ben Lomond is scarcely known

For today there is no winter sun

During Christmas time we often think of others more than ourselves.  Many times, we don’t have to look far to serve another—sometimes it’s right in our own backyard.  Recently, our neighbors organized a “Holiday Porch Party” where several friends, along the street and in the nearby neighborhood, gathered together. 

Photo Caption: 191219-N-IK880-2010 ARABIAN SEA (Dec. 19, 2019 Hull Maintenance Technician 3rd Class Torin Leasure, from Ogden, Utah, welds a pipe fitting in the pipe shop aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Arabian Sea, Dec. 19, 2019. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke point. (U.S.

Four years ago Newsweek reported in a powerful article “CHINA FORCES ITS POLITICAL PRISONERS TO SELL BODY PARTS,” but little has been printed in American news outlets since.  So what did they report and can it still be confirmed?

        Colleges have been around for centuries. College students have also been around for centuries. Yet, college administrators assume that today's students have needs that were unknown to their predecessors. Those needs include diversity and equity personnel, with massive budgets to accommodate.

No eraser for 2019, but redemption in 2020

Will we be the same human beings in the new year? Will this year be different? Will humanity change? Along with 2020 comes the hope and yearning for a more peaceful human race. How do we do try to heal from the tragedies of 2019, but not forget?

Old Year

“Los Angeles is like a beauty parlor at the end of the universe.”  Emily Mortimer 

“I love Los Angeles.  I love Hollywood.  They’re beautiful.  Everybody’s plastic, but I love plastic.  I want to be plastic.”  Andy Warhol

“People change.  Things change.  Times change.  Even memories change ...” Me

In the summer of 1961, my father decided to take our family on a cross-country trip to Los Angeles, destination: Disneyland. 

Whatever power is at the top of the pile trickles down below. And power is not good or evil—power is neutral. Humans get to choose to use power for good or evil. Power can help or harm. Whether use, misuse, or abuse of power is right or wrong, often depends on which side of the street you stand on. And on the ethics of power.

For centuries, philosophers, anthropologists, social scientists, psychologists, leaders and followers have struggled to understand the use, misuse, and abuse of power and control.