“Of Mice and Men” is a novella written by John Steinbeck and published in 1937. It is set during the Great Depression in the agricultural fields of Northern California, where it follows two migrant ranch workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who move from place to place in search of job opportunities. They are the real Americans in the heartland during the worst of the Great Depression. That Great Depression was caused by a complex…
You know how some days are just hard to figure out? Are they good days or bad days? I’m a little confused about today, so let me explain. First of all it’s Friday, probably the most popular day of the week because the work week has ended and yet the household chores of Saturday have not begun. I know that young people are starting to push into Thursday night as the big “date night” of…
I started college in August 1971. That was almost after the main protest years of the 1960s had ended…. almost but not quite. The turbulent protest years that characterized the prior decade had peaked in 1969. I always think of the Kent State massacre as that moment. But during the fall of 1971 and the spring of 1972, ostensibly throughout my freshman year, there were still plenty of anti-war protests. As a guy who had…
It’s a rainy day here on the hilltop. It’s been raining steadily all day and without stop, which is unusual. It took a few days to get over my travel drudge, but starting yesterday I have been at full strength and ready to dig into my next projects. Yesterday was about the movies and dinner, but today was supposed to be about getting things done. But instead, I’ve chosen to be prudent and avoid the…
The era of globalization doesn’t have a single, universally agreed-upon starting point, as it evolved gradually through several phases. There was the early globalization (1500s-1800s) that some historians trace to the beginnings to the Age of Exploration and the establishment of maritime trade routes connecting Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. There was also the Columbian Exchange of goods, people, and ideas between hemispheres, marking an early form of global interconnection. The Columbian Exchange was…
I just spent an hour this morning sorting out my folded shirt collection. For the last thirty years (or at least the thirty before I moved out here five years ago) I had all my suits and all my collared. shirts custom-made. This had little to do with an affectation and everything to do with the inability to buy suitable and proper-fitting clothes off the rack. For casual clothes I could find a growing selection…
When I write these stories, I always start with a title and then go rom there. The title is a reflection of what is on my mind and what resonates and sounds “catchy”. Having written 2,400 such stories over the past six and a half years, I have stumbled onto the same title more often than I care to admit. It’s a bit like seeing the edge of your imagination when it happens, but I…
Yesterday we went to see the new Steve Coogan movie called The Penguin Lessons. I must admit that I had not heard of the movie before we booked it, but I am a big fan of Steve Coogan and his co-star Jonathan Pryce. This is a true life story set in 1976 Argentina and is about a Brit named Tom Mitchell. It is directed by Peter Cattaneo, who you may remember burst on the scene…
For many years we have been advised to “Keep Calm and Carry On”. The iconic poster has become one of the most recognizable pieces of British design in history, though its journey to cultural prominence follows a fascinating path. The poster was originally designed in 1939 by the British Ministry of Information as part of a series of three motivational posters intended to boost morale during the anticipated bombing of major cities at the outbreak…
Several years ago I discovered 30% vinegar solution as a weed killer. I am not the most eco-oriented person in the world and I can’t pretend that I make choices that are only the right eco-friendly option at all times. Generally, I think that adoption of these things needs to be cost neutral or better and relatively convenient as well. When you go to Lowe’s or Home Depot at this time of year, you see…