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UNEXPECTED GIFTS

The sun was starting to rest over the meadows. Gil, the head farmer, and the little boy called the cows together, “Come Boss, come Boss.” Babe was a huge Guernsey who loved to eat apples out of the young boy’s hand. Snowball, a Holstein, was whiter than the first snowfall, a bit older and moved slower than Babe. Jumping onto the gate, the boy got his bib overalls caught on the hinge. “Let’s go boy, we still need to milk...

Roots

ROOTS

In his parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1 ff.), Jesus explained to His audience the importance of roots in agronomy. Yet, this wasn’t a strictly practical scientific presentation but rather a spiritual one. Jesus saw a correlation between a healthy root system on a plant with a healthy spiritual life in a person. While Jesus knew much better than I what His point was, I wonder whether it might be possible to coax a bit more nuance from the parable,...

Steinbeck on human behavior

STEINBECK ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR

One of the three “giants” who influenced my life was John Steinbeck.  I was introduced to him in high school when we were assigned to read “Of Mice and Men,” but I was bitten by the bug and hungrily read every book he wrote (including “Travels with Charley: In Search of America“) over the next two years.  Every book, that is, but one. Somehow, his work “The Log from the Sea of Cortez” slipped through the cracks.  But before I go any further, let me explain...

Have faith in our institutions

HAVE FAITH IN OUR INSTITUTIONS

Only two countries in the modern world have a founding document older than the U.S. Constitution. The oldest is England, if you count the Magna Carta of 1215, and secondly the tiny republic of San Marino (1600), nestled snugly within the Italian peninsula.  Other countries such as the Dominican Republic have had 32 constitutions altogether, and a number of other countries from Ecuador to Thailand have had 20 or more constitutions.  Israel, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia are several of the few...

The SARS-CoV-2 virus

INFLUENZA AND COVID UPDATE

This is a good time to mention the flu and COVID, both of which are filling up emergency rooms across the country.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anticipates that the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, or “H5N1 bird flu,” in dairy cows, poultry and other animals will be the chief flu strain in the U.S. this coming winter. September is approximately the month that seasonal vaccines come out, and I encourage everyone who reads my blog who can be...

SENTINEL EVENTS: WARNINGS FROM WITHIN

Deena and I have been focusing on the word “sentinel” lately, in the context of her aneurysm. This is a word that has largely escaped me, probably because we used the term “precursor” back in the day. “Sentinel,” seems slightly more romantic to me, however. Yet, there is nothing romantic about the problem your sentinel wants you to be aware of. One of the hallmarks of a teacher is the desire to share something new and interesting with the “class.”...

New beginnings

NEW BEGINNINGS

New beginnings. New year. The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus, who is portrayed in mythology as person with two faces, one looking backward and one looking forward. By the time this year (any year) is over, most people are ready for a fresh start, a new beginning, a cleansing, a chance to move on and that is what this post is about. Starting anew My wife Deena and I are both educators, with more than...

Never too late

NEVER TOO LATE

It is no secret that one of my favorite poets is Lord Alfred Tennyson, and one of my favorite poems is his own Ulysses. The poem is a hypothetical monologue by Ulysses, written by Tennyson in iambic pentameter. It flows beautifully as Ulysses, now in his later years, surveys his life, wondering whether he and he shipmates who are still alive are capable of one more heroric deed. Or, are extreme exploits, awesome adventures and just ordinary good deeds and...

Just another day in America

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN AMERICA

Do I sound upset? I’m sure I am. Maine has always been a special place to me. I almost moved there five years ago. The great outdoors, the beaches and the surf are just part of the appeal. The lobster boats and the lighthouses make the trip well worthwhile. And the splendor of the leaves of autumn is unrivaled in Maine. There are also books on Maine which I sought out when I was younger such as “The Maine Woods”...

The look of love

THE LOOK OF LOVE

There is a seismic shift happening at the moment in the area of human relationships.  Artificial Intelligence (AI) to a greater extent and robotics to a lesser extent are starting to encroach in person-to-person relationships and warning bells are starting to go off. One recent such bell was published on The Hill, an e-journal focused on political events in Washington, D.C. and called “AI girlfriends are ruining an entire generation of men.” The company Replika has two million subscribers in various...

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