Marijuana usage has been a part of my consciousness ever since I was about fifteen. That was, after all, the peak of the hippie countercultural movement of the late 60s. For one reason or another, in my family, the impact fell very little on me or my oldest sister Kathy (we are only three years apart), but fell very heavily on my middle sister, Barbara. All of her friends were heavily into drugs where none…
Names carry remarkable depth – they’re vessels of identity, history, and meaning that shape how we see ourselves and how others perceive us. At the most basic level, names serve as identifiers, distinguishing one person from another. But they’re so much more than labels. Your name often carries your family’s heritage, cultural traditions, and sometimes the hopes your parents had for you. Many names have etymological roots that reveal ancient meanings – David means “beloved,”…
A petri dish is a shallow, circular glass or plastic laboratory dish with a lid, used primarily in microbiology and cell culture. Named after German bacteriologist Julius Richard Petri, these dishes typically contain a nutrient medium (like agar) that allows microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or cells to grow and multiply. They are used for research or medical testing. When I was young I wanted to be a scientist, but the concept of science appealed…
I know what many of my readers are probably thinking at this moment. My friend Bruce, who spends much of his time in Jackson, Wyoming tells me that when they gather with their friends (Bruce is 76 and his wife Sandy is a bit older) they have an agreement that all organ recitals will be limited to five minutes. That is a tongue-in-cheek way of saying that they do not want to spend their valuable…
I love all those expressions about the randomness of life. There’s “Feast or Famine”, “When it rains it pours”, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans”, “Man plans, God laughs”, “The only constant is change”, or “Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get”. Sometimes these passages have a positive and optimistic spin and sometimes not so much. Sometimes you have to “Roll with the…
On Sunday I stumbled on something that made me stop and think through a few issues about American medical care. I have long been a believer in universal healthcare and yes, I consider getting the best healthcare available to all citizens (and even others in our country who are not citizens) to be one of those inalienable human rights that the U.S. Constitution states as unalienable. If a human being can do something to help…
“Aye aye aye” (often spelled “ay ay ay”) comes from Spanish “¡Ay, ay, ay!” – an exclamation expressing various strong emotions like frustration, pain, dismay, or sometimes even affection or admiration. The word “ay” itself is an ancient interjection found across many languages, likely stemming from a natural human vocal response to strong emotion. In Spanish, repeating it three times (”¡Ay, ay, ay!”) intensifies the expression and is even the basis of a popular Mexican…
There is one thing that Donald Trump is not and that is subtle. We often talk about politicians being so vague that they speak on and on without saying anything, and that is no accident. Being obtuse in a political skill that has its roots in survival instinct. Who doesn’t remember comedian and politician, Senator Al Franken of Minnesota being trolled and forced to resign his senate seat during the early days of the Me…
We started our day in Ojai, waking up at the Blue Iguana and meeting Sharron (Kim’s sister) & Woo at the Ojai Valley Inn for breakfast. All the times that I’ve been to Ojai, I’ve tried to book a room at the Ojai Valley Inn and never found a vacancy. Today was actually the first time I’ve ever driven up to and been within sight of the place and I must say that I understand…
We are on the first of two of this year’s midsummer roadtrips, the great American tradition. There are six of us (Kim and me, daughter Carolyn and John, and Charlotte & Evelyn) from three generations driving around California in an SUV designed to hold six people and just barely enough luggage for five days and four nights. I am no Chevy Chase, but there are moments when this all feels like a scene from National…