Category Archives: Current events
Making New Friends
One of the bonuses of retirement in Puriscal, Costa Rica, is the thriving expat community. Don’t think: gated enclave, though there are lots of them nearby. Folks here live the rural life, isolated from each other and scattered across the … Continue reading
Bloodsuckers
The Republicans vow never to give anything away, except, of course, to the already wealthy. They demand an ever-shrinking government. How will they diminish the varmint? Eliminate taxes on the rich and on corporations, for a start, and protect the … Continue reading
Pummeling the Poor
One item glared at me when I opened my browser to Google news this morning. The headline from the Philadelphia Inquirer screamed the news: Schools, city lose in budget. But don’t worry, taxes won’t rise. And business taxes will actually … Continue reading
Derby Daughter
The concept of Roller Derby never crept into my consciousness until my daughter, Bonnie, told me she was going to try out for a league in Sydney, where she lives. “Roller Derby!” said my brother, George. “Do you know what … Continue reading
Riding the Floor
About a week after we moved to Japan, my daughter, Bonnie, and I experienced our first earthquake. As we sat on the floor, Japanese style, our legs tucked under the kotatsu for warmth, the apartment began to sway. “Look at … Continue reading
Compassion: Try It!
A few weeks ago, I received an email from Bloggers Unite, inviting me to write about the importance of compassion. “This is an event,” the email said, “created by social media geeks and bloggers.” Why not? I thought. Compassion is … Continue reading
Help Wanted: A Robin Hood for Today
BufferRecently, I ripped through three seasons of BBC’s Robin Hood. The fabulous thing about Netflicks: Watch Instantly is that you can see one after another, all free from commercial interruption, until you can’t sit still for another minute. I’ve always … Continue reading
Radiation for Dummies
BufferThe US embassy in Tokyo has issued a Warden Message for US residents living in Japan. It recommends that those living within 50 miles of the Fukushima power plant either leave or stay indoors if “departure is not practical.” I … Continue reading
Know Your Enemy
BufferI have met the enemy, sort of, and I’m confused. I read the whole, schizophrenic platform of the Tea Party, and didn’t know whether to laugh or lie down on a highway and let the cars run over me. If … Continue reading
